The purpose of suffering
And so that the greatness of the revelations would not exalt me beyond measure, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan to slap me, so that I would not be exalted beyond measure; concerning which three times I have prayed to the Lord to take it away from me.
And he said to me: My grace is enough for you; because my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore, for the love of Christ, I rejoice in weaknesses, in affronts, in needs, in persecutions, in anguish; Because when I’m weak, then I’m strong. 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
The purpose of suffering, introduction:
Someone asked why the just suffers… for many it seems to be a mystery without an answer. This was in fact the first question that arose in my mind from the first days of my conversion. That the sinner suffers is not difficult to explain since “the wages of sin is death.”
But that someone who gives himself to the Lord and tries to serve him with all his heart goes through tragedies and irreparable losses… it is not easy to understand, much less to explain. There is a false idea that by converting to Christ all our problems will end and it seems that in some cases it is quite the opposite.
From the old testament -thousands of years ago- the psalmist reminds us “many are the afflictions that the just will suffer”…but the Lord will deliver him (help him) out of all of them. Ps 34:19 That the righteous suffer is not only normal but anticipated (they are expected to suffer).
If you and I suffer, it is very likely that this is living proof that we are pleasing God. Jesus said emphatically to his disciples and, consequently, to us too: “in the world you will have affliction”… but take heart, I have overcome the world…
Paul himself said: And also all who want to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution; 2 Tim 3:12 In our human way of seeing things (perspective), we visualize suffering as something negative, tragic, illogical, ironic and undesirable. God on his side in his immeasurable wisdom sees in suffering a wealth of blessings and benefits. (Later I invite you to read: Persevering in the midst of suffering, The Test of our Faith and Living in Difficult Times
WHILE WE SEE DEATH IN SUFFERING, GOD LOOKS AT LIFE
When we look at suffering only destruction, he is glimpsing a new creature. As we look at suffering only pain, he contemplates healing. We hope in suffering defeat, yet he anticipates opportunity. We capture irony in suffering, he, by his side, perceives perfect harmony.
While we in our spiritual myopia try to evade and avoid suffering, He constantly uses it to help us and keep us of his will within. If God uses suffering and this is to be expected in every Christian, instead of avoiding it we should better try to live with it.
Whether we understand it or not, God has a purpose for everything He does. And allowing us as Christians to go through suffering is not without purpose, there are one or several according to Scripture. If we see suffering through the eyes of God we will find some purposes that he has for it.
SUFFERING REVEALS OUR CHARACTER
The sting with which Paul suffered taught him that he was proud and prone to haughtiness. It is almost impossible to talk about suffering without mentioning Job. In the case of Job, the suffering that caused him to lose everything he had, including all his children, brought out what was in him, his character, his firmness, his faithfulness, his spirituality and maturity.
In the well-known story of Job, Satan comes into the presence of God. “The Lord said to Satan: Have you not considered my servant Job, that there is no other like him on earth, a perfect and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil?
Satan answering Jehovah said: Does Job fear God for nothing? Have you not fenced around him and his house and all that he has? To the work of his hands you have given blessing; therefore his goods have increased on the earth. But now he stretches out your hand and touches everything he has, and you will see if he does not blaspheme you in your very presence. Jehovah said to Satan: Behold, all that he has is in your hand; just don’t put your hand on it. And Satan went out from before the LORD. (Job 1: 8-12).
It is very easy to live as a Christian when there are no problems; when full steam ahead. It is extremely easy to thank God when all we receive from Him are blessings, health, and peace of mind. But the reality of who we are will emerge as soon as the problems begin to arise.
Our true level and spiritual weight are put in the balance of reality when God allows something bad, terrible, or even devastating to happen to us. In the case of Job, God allowed him to lose everything including his ten children in one day and one hour. The reality of his character was immediate and he was seen immediately.
Faced with the chilling reality of such a tragedy, Job got up and tore his clothes, shaved his head, (showing mourning and mourning) prostrated himself on the ground and adored God saying: naked I came out of my mother’s womb, and naked I will return there . Jehovah gave, and Jehovah has taken away; be the name of Jehovah blessed. And in all this Job did not sin, nor did he attribute any nonsense to God.
Although he did not understand what was happening to him, he knew that in everything God had a purpose for him. The Lord allowed Job to suffer to show that he was a faithful man, and that instead of moving him to curse God, pain would expose his spiritual maturity.
On the other hand, when tragedy struck Job’s wife, she showed what was in her. Although she undoubtedly worshiped and served God along with Job, her suffering discovered that it was all hypocrisy. Contrary to Job, she not only cursed God but she said to Job, seeing this man’s faithfulness, do you still retain your integrity? Curse God, and die. Job, covered in a terrifying malignant mange, replies: as people who do not know God speak, you have spoken. With your way of speaking and reacting, you show what is really in you. Will we receive from God only good and evil, right? When the man who suffers is truly faithful and his love for God is real, there is no pain, trial, affliction or burden that makes him react negatively before God; because suffering reveals our true character.
On the other hand, when a man or a woman does not live a sincere relationship with God, pain reveals it. His reaction is always negative; they complain, deny, reveal themselves, and even leave God.
Not so the true Christian, who sings the most suffers the most praises, the most seeks God, the most desires to serve him; Because “PAIN REVEALS OUR CHARACTER”.
SUFFERING BREAKS OUR PRIDE AND KEEPS US HUMBLE
The Lord revealed to Paul that the purpose of his suffering was to keep him humble; because we humans have a tendency to get arrogant when God gives us or uses us. Although Paul was a great man of God and who loved the work of the Lord, he was not exempt from pride. How many men have been lost because of this perverse tyrant called pride.
When they were blessed by God, when God used them and could not resist, they succumbed to the powerful tentacles of pride that inadvertently suffocated them. Solomon the richest and wisest man became proud and left God.
Samson the strongest and most powerful man was conceited and died in reproach and shame for it. That is why Agur said to God: I have asked you for two things, do not deny them to me before he dies. Vanity (pride) lying word away from me; do not give me poverty or wealth, keep me with the necessary bread. It is not that being rich satiates me and denies you, and says: Who is the Lord? (Proverbs 30:7-9). Only God knows, if it is thanks to that suffering we are going through that we are still serving him.
Thank God for that suffering that keeps us humiliated depending on his mercy, recognizing that we are his people and sheep of his meadow, that he made us and not us ourselves. (If you like you can read: Humility and Service)
SUFFERING MOTIVATES US TO GET CLOSER TO GOD
Suffering leads us to God
The suffering that Paul was feeling led him to seek the face of God insistently. Three times I have prayed to God to take it away from me, he said; that is, he spent three periods of deep searching in prayer and probably fasting. These three periods of intense consecration were caused by this suffering that he had.
Job, who was a man who obviously knew God and served him, going through such intense suffering pushed him to seek God even more, in a way that he was not used to. This brought him as a result that he deepened in the knowledge of his God. Such was the experience that he had with God that he had to express “before hearing I knew you but now my eyes see you”. Suffering pushes us to seek God more.
SUFFERING PERFECTS THE WORK OF GOD IN OUR LIVES
Suffering helps to perfect the work of God… it leads us to God
Pain in some way molds our character, shapes us, smoothes the rough edges, and burns the undesirable in us. God told Paul that his power is made perfect in weakness; sometimes what God wants to do in us requires suffering to be carried out. The servant does not correct himself with words because he understands, but he pays no attention. Proverbs 29:19.
How many times has God invited us to seek him more and serve him more closely but we ignore his voice. How many times have you had to use suffering as a last resort to talk to us because even though we understand, we pay no attention.
Moses spoke to Pharaoh in Egypt and begged for good, and he paid no attention. God sent plagues, diseases and plagues. But he did not obey until pain and suffering pierced his soul at the death of his own son. How many of us he brought to him through some problem. To how many people who don’t know God he has been speaking sweetly… and they have not wanted to seek him out and give themselves to him.
God will not rest until they surrender to him, and will use suffering if necessary in order to save them. God to the son who loves gets up early to punish him. My son, do not belittle the discipline of the Lord, nor faint when you are rebuked by him; Because the Lord whom he loves, disciplines, and whips everyone he receives as a son. If you endure discipline, God treats you as sons; for what son is he whom the father does not discipline? But if you are left without discipline, of which all have been partakers, then you are bastards, and not children (Hebrews 12:5-8)
SUFFERING LEADS US TO PERSONAL REFLECTION
It forces us to carefully examine our lives to make sure that nothing out of place in us is the cause of our suffering.
“Because we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our…