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Why Do Christians Suffer?
by Joyce Meyer
As Christians, we like the
thought of sharing in Christ's glory, but what about sharing in His suffering?
Jesus took care of the death
penalty once and for all so we don't ever have to worry about that again.
But the Bible teaches that we
must suffer times of trial if we are to share in the glory. Is it worth it?
Read
what Paul says in Romans 8:18: “... For I
consider that the sufferings of this present time (this present life) are not
worth being compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to us and in
us and for us and conferred on us!”
Acting Right When Things Are Wrong
Many of us think we suffer
because of our circumstances.
We believe that if our
circumstances would change, we'd be able to act right. But God wants us to
become so mature and stable that we act right even when none of our
circumstances are good.
There are different levels of
faith, and most of the time we want to use our faith to get rid of a problem.
But sometimes God's plan is
for us to exercise a higher level of faith that will carry us through life's
challenges. This requires even greater faith than being delivered from a
situation.
Too often we marvel at the
delivering power of God and overlook His keeping, strengthening and enabling
power.
Although there are many
reasons why Christians suffer, I would like to address what I believe are eight
of the most common reasons why there is suffering in our lives.
#1: A Lack of Word Knowledge
Many Christians suffer
because they're too busy seeking carnal knowledge instead of the Word of God.
The
Lord Himself said, "My people are destroyed for lack of
knowledge..." (Hosea 4:6).
Paul was an educated man,
with a wealth of carnal knowledge.
When
he realized the importance of spiritual knowledge, he said, "...I
resolved to know nothing (to be acquainted with nothing, to make a display of
the knowledge of nothing, and to be conscious of nothing) among you except
Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and Him crucified" (1
Corinthians 2:2).
Like
Paul, we need to realize the importance of learning spiritual things, for Galatians
6:8 says, "...he who sows to his own
flesh (lower nature, sensuality) will from the flesh reap decay and ruin and
destruction, but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal
life."
#2: Disobedience
Once we know the Word of God,
we have a responsibility to be obedient to it.
Too many of us intend to be
obedient, but put it off. Even procrastination is disobedience, and it can
cause us to suffer.
James 4:7 gives
us good advice: “Submit yourselves therefore to God...”
When God tells me to do
something, I find it helpful to write it down. This serves as a reminder that I
must be obedient if I want God's blessings.
“If you
are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land” (Isaiah
1:19).
#3: To Purify and Test Your Faith
Sometimes people seem
surprised that they must go through a time of trial or suffering. Perhaps
they’ve been faithful to learn and obey the Word, and the trials still come.
Trials
come simply to test and purify our faith. “[You
should] be exceedingly glad on this account, though now for a little while you
may be distressed by trials and suffer temptations, so that [the genuineness]
of your faith may be tested, [your faith] which is infinitely more precious
than the perishable gold which is tested and purified by fire. [This proving of
your faith is intended] to redound to [your] praise and glory and honor when
Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) is revealed” (1 Peter
1:6-7).
#4: A Need for Brokenness
The word brokenness may
strike fear in some people, but it's really not a bad word.
God doesn’t desire to break
our spirits, but He wants to break that outer shell, the flesh that prevents
Him from being all He wants to be in and through us. He wants to break off
things like pride, rebellion, selfishness and independence.
God wants us to be totally
dependent on Him, and suffering seems to bring us to that point.
However, having to depend on
God shouldn't cause us to feel sorry for ourselves.
I
once said, “Oh, God, I'm so lonely, and I
don't have anybody but You.”
And
the Holy Spirit said, "Poor Joyce,
you're just stuck with God."
I've discovered that having
only God is a good position to be in.
#5: To Build Compassion
Compassion is born out of
experiencing similar problems.
The
Bible says, “...we do not have a High Priest Who is unable to understand and
sympathize and have a shared feeling with our weaknesses and infirmities and
liability to the assaults of temptation, but One Who has been tempted in every
respect as we are, yet without sinning” (Hebrews
4:15).
It comforts me to know that
Jesus understands me and has compassion.
Going through trials and
experiencing God's deliverance better equips us to minister to others.
Our
pain is never wasted; it brings about compassion that reaches out to other
hurting people by saying, "I've been
there, and God brought me through it, and He'll do the same for you."
#6: To Encourage Others
The
apostle Paul said there were many things that God allowed him to go through
simply as object lessons for other people. “...I want
you to know and continue to rest assured, brethren, that what [has happened] to
me [this imprisonment] has actually only served to advance and give a renewed
impetus to the [spreading of the] good news (the Gospel)... most of the
brethren have derived fresh confidence in the Lord because of my chains and are
much more bold to speak and publish fearlessly the Word of God...” (Philippians
1:12-14).
Even in Paul's imprisonment,
his stability and ability to be used of God was evident.
If we’re to minister to
others, we too must face some adverse circumstances.
But if we stand in faith and
confidence, God will bring us through to victory, and we'll be a great
encouragement to others in the process.
#7: Because of the Word
Sometimes we suffer attacks
from the enemy simply because of our involvement with the Word of God.
Mark 4:17 speaks
of those who hear the Word and endure it for a while, “...then
when trouble or persecution arises on account of the Word, they immediately are
offended (become displeased, indignant, resentful) and they stumble and fall
away.”
When someone receives the
Word of God, Satan delights in coming immediately to try to steal what’s been
sown in their heart.
He knows the Word will
strengthen us and help us live a victorious Christian life, and he wants to
stop it if he can.
So it’s imperative to guard
the Word in your heart and resist the devil from stealing it away from you.
#8: Because of Living in the World
Christians may also face
trials and suffer simply because we live in a world full of sin.
But
Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have
[perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials
and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident,
certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power
to harm you and have conquered it for you]“ (John
16:33).
What a promise! Understanding
the reason for our suffering and having the assurance of the final glory
we'll share should make it a little easier to enjoy our lives... even during
the times of sharing in suffering.
“And
if we are [His] children, then we are [His] heirs also: heirs of God and fellow
heirs with Christ [sharing His inheritance with Him]; only we must share His
suffering if we are to share His glory” (Romans
8:17).
How can we pray for you?
God
wants to meet your needs and reveal His promises to you. So whatever you're
concerned about and need prayer for — we are here for you!
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