Something’s Changed

As I move into my third decade as a follower of Jesus I’m noticing something.

Something has changed - dramatically changed. What’s changed is that I completely identify with Paul when he said, “That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

There are atheists who read this blog who will say, “Paul is insane. They’re both insane. Who would delight in the sorrows of life?”

Well, I do, because where sorrow is, there Jesus is also.

“Blessed are those who mourn.”

That is about as counter-culture a statement as anyone can make. In North America we do everything possible to avoid mourning, suffering, pain, tragedy. Atheists even base their denial of God's existence upon the presence of suffering.

What I’ve learned over the years is that when we stop denying pain and instead step into it with the anticipation of meeting God in the midst of it, we are never disappointed. Instead we find that our lives become grounded in a stability we never dreamed possible. “Those who wait upon the Lord become like Mount Zion, unmoved by any circumstance.” The way to rise above pain and suffering is not to avoid it or deny it’s power, but to live completely in the midst of it. I’m not talking about avoiding the medical system or not trying to remain healthy. I’m talking about releasing our grip on the things over which we don’t have any control in the first place.

An atheist said to me recently that if he were God, He would have created a world where suffering was not necessary in order to experience genuine love. Pretty profound for anyone, let alone someone who denies the existence of the Source of love, his Creator. Another atheist wrote that if he were God, he would have created a universe / world where the people of His creation had the chance to grow and improve - albeit without the help of their Creator. So close to the truth of the matter and yet so far.

One of our problems is that we fail to realise the tremendous resource we have in and through suffering, for precisely that - growth and improvement.

A major key to not just surviving life but to triumphing over life, is when we stop rebelling against pain and step into its power to transform us into someone who is more and greater than who we now are. My experience has been that life comes at us with tremendous and relentless ferocity. I feel like I’ve been pummelled and pounded by events that are not unique to my own existence. But here’s the thing and it’s important. We can rebel against hardship and suffering - which I did for the first thirty years of my life - or we can “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. And the God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory in Christ - after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong.” 1st Peter 5:5-7,10

There it is! The transforming power that is made possible only and always in the midst of pain and suffering. Hard times bring to the surface characteristics of ours, characteristics that remain hidden in times of ease, that need to be removed from us to - how did the atheist put it? - to grow and improve. God created a world without suffering. “Obey Me,” He said, “and paradise can be yours forever. Disobey Me and hardship and suffering will be your lot until the day you die.”

In light of our present circumstances, my prayer is, “Lord don’t come into my life to change my pain. Rather, come into my pain in order to change me.”

Adam and Eve made the choice they did and this is now the way of life. HOWEVER, because God loves us, suffering does not take place in the absence of meaning and context and purpose. In fact, pain and tragedy can accomplish in us the exact opposite than what satan intended. Rather than destroy us, God can take “Trials and suffering and difficulties and make us more than conquerors.” Romans 8:37.

Adding to the many paradoxes of the Christian life, (win through losing; get through giving; live through dying etc.) with Jesus as our companion, rather than the loss of a loved one or health or wealth or belonging etc., rather than loss taking something important from us, the loss of any of these actually becomes our gain.

“Where I am there My servants will be also.”

Where was Jesus most likely to be found? He was with those who were in mourning. With those who were cast-offs. With the rejects who existed on the fringes of society. Mourning, loss and tragedy presents the conditions whereby we are more likely to find Jesus.

Where Jesus is with us, suffering loses its power over us.