On Suffering

Mar

On Suffering

Posted on March 26th, 2009 in Church Life, Faith by Fred McKinnon

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We are about 4 weeks into our series on the book of Job entitled “When It Hurts” at SSCC. (you can listen to the series thus far here)

I was both excited about this series and dreading it at the same time. I struggle with the God who allowed those things to happen to Job. I also have strong issues with how much liberty we give “suffering” in the church, almost to the point where it’s “just sit back and take it, there is nothing you can do about it” attitude.

So, I’m on a mission. It’s too easy to just believe what you always heard. It’s so easy to interpret Scripture through the filter of the people who taught it to you. Everyone has a slant. That slant comes through in how we use the Bible to teach our agenda.

My Quest:

To study and refine my own doctrine and theology of suffering.

Do I believe that Christians will suffer in this world? 100% yes, absolutely.
Do I believe that we often lump things in to “Godly suffering” that don’t belong there? 100% yes, absolutely.

So, I’ll be taking my Bible and keeping extensive notes in Evernote … and maybe one day I’ll be able to come back and share my thoughts.

Can you clearly articulate your doctrine in regards to suffering?

http://www.aworshipfulheart.typepad.com Jan Owen

Fred, although I have never lost a child, or been beaten, or imprisoned, the last few years have been full of emotional suffering for me. It led me to some new “beliefs” if you will, although I’m not sure it will relate to what you are studying.

Here’s my refinement of my own beliefs. Before this period of time I equated success in the church with God’s approval and annointing. No more. I believe that God can allow difficult seasons of life to refine us because He loves us so greatly. I would express myself now as “beautifully broken” and I am thankful for it. Am I happy that a friend committed suicide? no of course not. Am I happy that our church has been so hurt? no, I would never wish that for anyone. I would never want to walk through it again.

Am I glad that God has made me more compassionate, wiser, more full of love, more awakened to HIS DESIRES – unequivocably YES. The work of God in my life during this time is nothing short of profound.

I have learned that God can take the actions of men (sinful perhaps and certainly hurtful) and use it for our benefit.

We focus most on the “outer journey”. I think suffering forces us to pay close attention to our “inner journey”.

This is only my own experience – which I now see as an experience of grace and love.
Diane

I mentioned the theologian Jurgen Moltmann, and I do find that I relate to his take on suffering. In a nutshell, we don’t need to suffer as Christ suffered. The reason Jesus gave Himself to suffer and die was to take on the sins of the world, and offer another way, and alternative to suffering – otherwise, why would it say that ‘by His stripes we are healed?’ Our salvation is not on the condition of how much we suffer, it’s on the condition of how much HE suffered. We need to get away from the medieval mindset that says we need to flagellate ourselves to refine our spirits. It ties in to the whole ‘He gives and takes away’ thing – why do we automatically see that as taking away GOOD things from us? He takes away the sins of the world, and gives us eternal life.

Yes, we will and do suffer. We live in a sinful, fallen world where people do evil to one another and it has widespread repercussions on us. We have people who are poor stewards of the earth and create disaster in the planet. God knows this, and He didn’t make it happen, but He knew it would because we continually miss His will for us.

However, what is suffering? Some people mistake having to discipline yourself as suffering, or having to do without something material. Going without what you are conditioned to want materially is not suffering.

So like you said, Christians suffer? Absolutely. But it’s not a required offering to God, which is what some doctrine would have you believe. He loves us, and He cares when we are suffering.
http://rmckinno1.wordpress.com Robert McKinnon

The thing that burns me up the most if this line in your statement:
“Everyone has a slant. That slant comes through in how we use the Bible to teach our agenda.”

I HATE AGENDAS! They have no place in the body of Christ when they are “OURS”.

More suffering is caused in our pursuit to further our agendas than any other thing in the church.

Jesus promised that we would suffer just like He did. That’s a promise we don’t claim, huh? But so often I see God get credit for something the enemy has designed, or for something we do in our own stupidity or disobedience.

My theology? We’re in a fallen world, and stuff is going to happen. God allows this because it’s only how we DEAL with the stuff that will really bring the lost to Christ. If everything was always great, even the lost would be content and happy.
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http://www.SaintLewisMusic.com shannon

Bro, this has been AN INCREDIBLE SERIES, hasn’t it.

Personally, I have a very ‘deep’, thoroughly thought out “Theology of Suffering”, and this is it:

1. Suffering sucks.

2. Part of me is convinced Biblically that God is behind it at times, and that he is allowing it at other times… and emotionally, sometimes I think He’s just being mean… and at my better times, I’m pretty convinced He’s got good reasons for allowing what He does, and don’t see all the stuff He vetoes as it comes down the line towards us, and don’t think I even want to know.

3. Oh, and Suffering still sucks.

Points 1 & 3 are the ones I usually stand firmest on, though…
Tracie

I have no doctrine. But I have this and I thought of this post of yours when I was reading it from a book called Lessons I Learned in the Dark by Jennifer Rothschild.
“We learn many of life’s lessons when times are good and circumstances easy. Others, we learn only in seasons of hardship, loss, and great darkness. Although suffering can be the harshest of headmasters, its curriculum may open the door to freedom beyond our loftiest expecations. Sometimes it’s only in the adversity we dread that we begin to discover the kind of life we’ve only dreamed of.”
And I think that discovery may not always be present in the time of suffering. It may be best known as it is described in Isaiah 45:2-3.
dropping in

My doctrine on suffering is this:
1) Jesus said we will suffer for His name sake
2) If we are suffering because of our sin, that’s our fault, and we reap the consequences
3) If we are suffering because we have not taken care of our bodies, that’s our fault. We should work to get healthy so we can be of use in the kingdom.
4) God is a just and merciful God. It also says that he will not give his children a stone, when they ask for bread. If we ask Him, he always answers.
5) In Job’s case, God did not put the suffering on him, Satan asked if he could do that. Job was extraordinary, and his example is what sees us through many a trial I am sure. If we are so holy and righteous as Job, and then suffer trials as he did, I would be privileged to be called a friend of God, as Job obviously was. That gives me some comfort.
6) In the world we will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. The Gospel of Jesus Christ will break every fetter, set captives free from the spiritual and sometimes even physical prisons if wrongfully imprisoned, it will give sight to the blind, and we have hope of his coming again in Power and Great Glory.
7) That’s what keeps me going.
But oh, I am longing for heaven more with each passing day, as I tire of the evil and distress this old world is going through. I am longing for that city… where the roses never fade.

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