Suffering is a difficult topic.
But the Bible has a lot to say about it. When you read Scripture, when you really read it, you find that Scripture doesn’t tell us we won’t suffer; in fact, it tells us to expect it. John 16:33 blatantly says, “In this world, you will have trouble.”
But why? Well…
- We live in a fallen world. When sin entered the world, so did trials, tribulations, and suffering. Sometimes we deal with the sin of others that causes us to suffer. Other times we must deal with the consequences of our own sin—something we did to create suffering for ourselves. And still others like disease, natural disasters, and tragic circumstances are because of sin, because of the fall.
- This world is not our home. In the words of Billy Graham, “My home is in heaven. I’m just traveling through this world.” Going through trials and enduring hardships keep us from getting too comfortable here. Suffering causes us to yearn for our home in heaven.
- Suffering produces something beneficial in or through us. Not every time we go through a tragedy is it because God sees us as needing to be taught a lesson, but sometimes our trials help mature us as we grow in steadfastness and develop our character. And you never know who you might be serving or acting as an encouraging model to in the midst of your suffering.
We see all of these truths in James, a book that’s quickly becoming one of my favorites. Here’s a little background:James was likely written by Jesus’ brother James, who did not believe Jesus to be the Messiah during His earthly ministry (John 7:5). That all changed when James saw Jesus alive after his resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:7). James identifies himself as a servant of Jesus in his greeting instead of as Jesus’ brother, which he very well could have done. So instead of seeking recognition or demanding authority, James places himself in a humble position. He’s writing to Jewish Christians in the form of a letter but, as far as literary style goes, this book aligns with the writing style of wisdom literature, like Proverbs. Because he is writing to Jewish Christians (who have not been Christians long), his main topic of concern is faith.
James begins his letter by getting right to the point. My favorite translation of these beginning verses reads:
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (vv. 2-4).
First, James says “when you meet trials.” He doesn’t say “if” you will. This tells us that we should expect persecution, trials, and suffering. That’s a thought we don’t want to consider, but it is one that’s Biblical and true. Jen Wilkin puts it like this: “God absolutely loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. But when this is the message we lead off with, we end up having a lot of young believers who are absolutely taken by surprise when God’s wonderful plan for their life includes in His sovereign will, that they suffer.” The Christian life is often characterized by difficulty. After all, Jesus’ whole life was. Isaiah 53: 3 explains Jesus saying, “He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.”
Thankfully, we aren’t told here to be happy about our trials; these verses say to “count it all joy.” Why? Because trials mature us by teaching us to hate sin and by teaching us to long for heaven. That is the joy we are to count. Suffering has a limited time frame. There will be joy on the other side of this life in heaven. So while we may suffer here, we can “count it all joy” knowing that one day we won’t have such suffering.
This is tough topic, but it’s one worth discussing.
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
Ecclesiastes 3:11