Suffering for Good

Ps. 119:71 The suffering you sent was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to your principles.

Okay, admit it. You don't especially like suffering, do you? When was the last time you welcomed suffering into your life with open arms? It simply is not something we want to go through in life. There is ingrained in us a desire for things to go well with us and to live out our lives suffering free. Many people make a good living trying to make our sufferings go away or minimizing the pain they cause. Promises are made to help us that are all too often broken because they cannot be kept. Suffering is a natural part of life on earth.

Have you given much thought as to why God stresses so much in His Word that suffering is good for us? God ties suffering to character building. It is when we endure suffering that we discover our helplessness. We learn that we need help beyond ourselves in order to endure, or perhaps, overcome our sufferings. It is when we suffer that we best learn to lean on Jesus. Anyone can have strong faith when things are going well. But the real test of our faith's strength is found in how we respond to our sufferings. We may not go out and look for ways to suffer in life, but neither should we consider it to be something to avoid at all cost.

God does not promise us a suffering-free life, but He does promise us that He will be with us through our sufferings. He is always there to help us, to supply whatever we need to help us through it. Lean on the Lord for your strength and listen to what He wants to teach you the next time suffering invades your life.

And yes, seek out the help that others can give you to help you with your sufferings. God gives man wisdom, knowledge and skills to help us in times of need. But as you seek the help available to you, first commit it to the Lord and ask Him to oversee and take charge of the process. He promises to be with you and to use your sufferings for your good.