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Suffering—we all experience it. Neither saint nor sinner is exempt. Its frequency, intensity, and duration may vary, but all are intimately acquainted with it. It has many faces and forms. Its range is far-reaching. Its depth seems to know no bounds. We try anything to be released from its grip. We think of better days when things were not so bad. We seek comfort from those we love. We join support groups with others of the same affliction so as to be reassured that we are not alone in all of this and that there is hope.

Perhaps the most visited Scripture in our hour of need is Romans 8:28. It assures us that all suffering has been ordained by God for His glory and our good, that we suffer “according to His purpose” (Rom. 8:28b). But while we love to celebrate this promise when things turn out in our favor, it is usually the last verse we want quoted to us by outside parties when we experience testing. Our affection for this promise fluctuates with our experience, for we forget that the promise is as good as the Promise Giver.

For most of us, then, suffering is an unwelcome bedfellow. But the apostle Paul saw it as an investment opportunity, a means to an end. Knowing Christ was that end, and to achieve it was to partake in “the fellowship of His sufferings” (Phil. 3:10). Rather than losing peace and joy during trials, he used them to know the Prince of Peace more intimately. No matter how severe the trial, it was a win/win situation: “to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21).

There are only two ways to suffer. It is done in a way that glorifies Christ or ourselves. We suffer unrighteously when we call undue attention to ourselves while eclipsing God’s mercies. We tend to complain, forgetting who brought the suffering. Predictably and almost inevitably, the first question we ask is: Why me? This calls God’s infinite wisdom into question and charges Him with wrongdoing.

For those who have grown weary of hearing Romans 8:28 amid suffering, it may be alarming to discover that God does not merely make the best out of a bad situation. He ordains the situation and places us in it. Whatever He wills is the best thing. That is why Jesus prayed as He did in the Garden of Gethsemane: “ ‘Not My will, but Thine, be done’ ” (Luke 22:42, KJV). Every drop that fills our cup is from His vineyard!

Skillful suffering involves unwavering trust in the Suffering Servant who went before us. Let us not forget that Calvary is the pinnacle of “all things” that work for our good. He has not invested His sufferings only for ours to be in vain. He will get what He paid for.

Why do we suffer? Romans 8:29 answers that question: to be conformed to the image of Christ. The real question is: How do we suffer?

The Purpose of Suffering

Blind for God’s Glory

Keep Reading Irresistible Grace

From the June 2002 Issue
Jun 2002 Issue