"Americans don't suffer well" so stated Arlene Richardson as her second point in chapel today on suffering. Hearty amens went out throughout the crowd. We, Americans, are poor at suffering. Look at the rest of the world - they truly know suffering. Yet, I can't help at wondering if we really should look around. Do we fail understand how to suffer well because we have not had hard circumstances or because we have not chosen to embrace the hard circumstances around us?
I would lean towards the second. I believe American Christians do not suffer well because we have not seen lived out in front of us how to embrace suffering - not unnecessarily pursue it, but embrace it when it comes.
Some of the reasons we do not...
- we have a small view of God; a view that God is to make us happy. We don't trust that God will truly do as He says and work it for our good. Yet, four years after facing deep suffering in Indonesia I can rejoice in the lessons God taught me there and know that there would have been few/no other ways to learn them. He was good to teach me those things and my character would not be what it is today without them.
- we also have a bad view of hardships/inconviences. We view them as uncomfortable as opposed to conforming us to God's image. Do we take advantage of bad traffic to thank God for teaching us patience? Not likely.
- we aren't honest about our hardships. We often feel like they may us look weak. How often would you share that you've suffered a miscarriage and are questioning God's goodness openly and honestly and trust that he will see you through (my friend did so on her blog sharing her testimony, yet she also shares the uncomfortable doubt stage).
- we don't believe discipline can be for our good. Similar to the first point, do we see the big picture which includes our maturing and the goodness of God? Lots of faith required in that.
We can learn to suffer well here and now, we just have to change our perspective of what suffering is and learn to embrace the suffering God has placed before us.
No comments:
Post a Comment