A common plight of all people is suffering. Suffering comes in different ways. Defined suffering is undergoing pain, distress, or hardship. Suffering is woven in the lives of characters throughout the pages of scripture. Once sin entered the world through the original sin of Adam and Eve, suffering has impacted every generation.
We are often lulled to sleep by times of personal peace and prosperity. When everything is going like we want it to go, we feel immune from suffering. We may hear about it in others. We may even see it in people we know. We make notes to ourselves to do everything possible to insulate ourselves from having to endure those same hardships.
People work out incessantly to protect their health. I knew a man who rode a bicycle 20 miles everyday. That same man had a heart attack. I've known others who were extremely careful and strict about their diet. They got cancer. Others work insanely to make more money. They think financial security will protect them from suffering. Some of those same people lost everything in bad investments. I've seen godly parents protect their children from bad influences. They taught their children right from wrong, poured scripture into them, as well as prayed over them and with them. Some of those same children rebelled choosing sin breaking the hearts of the parents. People living in war torn areas once lived in peace. Now, they live with the reality that one bomb could destroy not only their property but also their very lives. They struggle through each day trying to survive and keep their loved ones protected. There are Christians who are persecuted all over the world. They are tortured for turning to Jesus. Their families are harassed. Yet they endure the suffering stoically.
I prayed for a virtuous woman and her family this morning battling breast cancer. She lies in a hospital recovering from a major surgery to remove the cancer weary, but stalwart in faith. I don't understand the reasons one who loves Jesus so much had to suffer so excruciatingly. Months of grueling pain, treatments, surgeries, dashed hopes, and now trying to recover from surgery. She is still strong in the faith.
A worship minister and song writer I met years ago lost his wife this past year to cancer. He begged his family and friends to pray for healing. God ultimately chose to heal her in heaven leaving him alone with four children to press on without her. He is wrecked. He is now a widower like so many before him. He sleeps in an empty bed on one side. There is an empty place setting at the table. A closet full of clothes remind him of his loss.
We lost Brenda's mom on April 16th of this year. She died the same day men from Fritch were loading the moving truck to make our transition to a new church and community. Brenda made Christmas ornaments with pictures of her mom on them and sent one each to her two sisters. She talked on the phone to one of those sisters last night as she opened hers while they talked breaking down in tears. Our family is not the only one to have suffered loss this past year. Many people died. Grieving loved ones suffer through this holiday season. It will not be the same. Memories can never replace the person. Pictures can never replace the person. Grief brings a suffering that can last for years and ache in the heart that cannot be put into words. The grief comes in waves. A person may be doing fine one moment, and without warning a song, a picture, a memory, or memento may trigger the tears to cascade.
So many people suffer financial hardships. Some do so just because times are tough. Prices keep increasing while wages do not always keep pace. Some suffer from poor financial choices of charging credit cards creating more debt. Sooner or later the bills come due and stress along with them. Living under financial suffering is suffocating. Every day people scrap to survive. They try to stretch the dollar as much as they can, but at the end of the day there just isn't enough to cover necessary expenses.
Things are even worse for those living on fixed incomes who worry each month if they will have enough to survive. They go without needed expensive medications because they can no longer afford them. They eat cheaply on things like toast, crackers, and a luxury meal might be cereal or a frozen dinner. Nobody knows their suffering. They hide it from family and friends preferring to suffer silently than to sound alarms for help.
There is a serenity that can be found in suffering. See Jesus suffering in agony in the garden praying that the cup of crucifixion might pass. He found serenity in surrendering to the will of His Father. Recall the sufferings of Joseph in Genesis. He found serenity in being faithful wherever he was planted even in prison. Even when wrongly imprisoned, he remained faithful surrendering to God. Paul suffered for serving Jesus. He could still write that he rejoiced and learned the secret of contentment. That secret was surrendering to the will of God.
When I prayed this morning, the thoughts of my minor sufferings were frustrating me. That is until God brought revelation to my mind. In each trial I face, I know He has the answers. The thought soaked into my soul that instead of striving with God, instead of becoming more impatient and frustrated, I need to surrender. To submit to His will no matter what it is. To resign myself to accept both His denials and delays in answering prayers. An amazing thing occurred as I adopted that new attitude. Peace permeated my soul. Joy replaced jadedness. Hope engulfed my mind that God is good and knows what is best. None of my sufferings changed. Each one is still prominent. Serenity came when I surrendered it all to God. Just like Ps 55:22 and Phil 4:6-7 command us to do. I trust that can happen for you too as you surrender to His will in suffering.
