Have you ever wondered why you suffer? Or why does God allow suffering to happen to some and not others? I know I have questioned God and asked him ‘why’ numerous times.
I don’t think that on this side of Heaven we will always know why a loved one passes away too soon, jobs are lost or why a friend gossiped and hurt you. But I believe if we look to the example of Paul in Philippians, we can learn how to respond.
Paul was preaching the gospel all throughout the Roman Empire, and it was not making the Roman government very happy. He was later imprisoned and wrote a letter to the Philippian church from prison encouraging them to continue in his work and telling them how thankful he was for them. I am amazed at Paul’s response to them despite his circumstances. He could have easily had a “Woe is me” attitude. After all, in addition to imprisonment, he had experienced shipwreck and persecution. But he continued to speak to advance Christ and said these words in Philippians 1:18,
“Yes, and I will continue to rejoice.”
Before I go on to the rest of the passage, just stop and process that. “I will continue to rejoice.” How do I respond in trials? Do I continue to rejoice in Christ? When I studied this passage with my Bible study group, it really made me think about my response to trials, and I am not in jail under the Roman government. My first response should be, but often is not to say, “I praise you anyway” or “God, you are good despite this. I praise you for your faithfulness.” I must begin to change what I do when I find out bad news. Some options could be taking a walk and listening to praise songs, reading a passage of scripture out loud, or getting on my knees and saying I praise you anyway. That passage in Philippians goes on to say,
“I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:19-21
When I read “God will be exalted in our bodies,” I take that to mean that when I was diagnosed in high school with a medical condition that I would have the rest of my life, God would use it to bring glory to Himself. It did not mean I liked it. I did not want to have it. But God uses all of it. When those of us who tried to have babies and lost them in the womb or at birth, or the moms who tragically lost their children later in life, Christ hurts with us as He knew pain like no other. However, He can be glorified in our response. It doesn’t mean we won’t be sad or mourn. But we must come to Him and lay this at His feet, proclaiming His faithfulness despite our circumstance.
Paul isn’t the only one in scripture who continues to rejoice. The Bible again reminds us again of this in James:
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” James 1:2
Does this mean we are happy when we are suffering? No. But through the Holy Spirit we can have joy despite what is surrounding us. I am so thankful to be surrounded by other believers that help me keep this attitude. This is not something easily mastered. If we pray, stay in the reading of the Word and surround ourselves with Christians to encourage us and keep Christ’s love and promises before us, we will begin to see a transformation in how we respond to our suffering or difficult circumstances.
I want to encourage you all to be in community with a church. Find a group: they are online and in person. This life is not easy. We face so much each day, especially now during a pandemic. We need relationships to get through our suffering or, when needed, point us to professional support. We need each other, so reach out if you need connection. The Willowdale Chapel community is there for you!
I hope you enjoy this song. A good friend shared it with me as I was processing the loss of one of my pregnancies. It really spoke to me when I felt the sadness of not having my son. May it comfort you as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ck2sFfoRMdg
I Praise You in This Storm
By: Casting Crowns
ABOUT OUR BLOGGER
Susan Veenema has been in education for almost 20 years supporting children with disabilities and their families and currently works for the Department of Education. Susan and her husband, Jeremy, love exploring Chester County with their two older biological daughters and three foster children. People are her passion.
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