Navigating Seasons of Suffering
by Corey Nieman / Ministry Assistant Small Groups and College & Young Adults
As a board certified recovery coach and member of the Spiritual Formation team here at Eastern Hills, I get the privilege of seeing people working out their faith on a daily basis, whether through small groups, counseling, discipleship classes, IGNITE, THRIVE, etc., and I am always amazed at God’s transformative power. However, before the triumph, I sometimes see people within their darkest hours. As a biblical counselor, what I find in almost every case is that people do not know how to process their suffering. Whether it is trauma, abuse, affliction, addiction, unforgiveness, etc., they are caught up in something that they cannot get out of on their own. And in fact, I don’t think we were built to process this on our own. So, what can we do with these emotions and feelings? During this holiday season coping can be particularly difficult.
God has prescribed a way to handle everything … as the Bible says, “More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” Romans 5:3-5. Though it is completely counterintuitive, God wants us to first be thankful for suffering. Why on earth would this be? Well, because of the fruit it produces for starters, but more importantly this trial/test/struggle can draw us closer to God if we learn to suffer well. Once we are postured correctly to see this season of struggle as “good”, we must now offer it up to God as a sacrifice. Through prayer and petition we must surrender our suffering in order that it may be transformed. Because the problem of suffering is that it keeps us focused on self, and our situation.
If we can learn to rely on Christ in the midst of suffering to see it as an opportunity to learn and grow, then that is half the battle. You see, Jesus was known as the suffering servant. Even before birth Jesus knew He would be mocked, rejected, betrayed, crucified, etc., and yet He trusted in God that it would all be worked out for a greater good. Psalm 32:7 says “You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah.” Three ways in which we can hide in God is through the daily reading of the Bible, prayer, and serving others. Through each of these ways we begin to focus on Him more and us less. Another thing we need as believers is fellowship and wise counsel. Getting into a small group or care group is a fantastic way to break the silence of your suffering. When we remain silent our suffering takes on greater power. Also, in a multitude of counselors there is wisdom. Confiding in a friend, pastor, accountability partner, counselor, etc. is one of the best ways to gain perspective and have a chain of support to help you through your suffering.
As a board certified recovery coach and member of the Spiritual Formation team here at Eastern Hills, I get the privilege of seeing people working out their faith on a daily basis, whether through small groups, counseling, discipleship classes, IGNITE, THRIVE, etc., and I am always amazed at God’s transformative power. However, before the triumph, I sometimes see people within their darkest hours. As a biblical counselor, what I find in almost every case is that people do not know how to process their suffering. Whether it is trauma, abuse, affliction, addiction, unforgiveness, etc., they are caught up in something that they cannot get out of on their own. And in fact, I don’t think we were built to process this on our own. So, what can we do with these emotions and feelings? During this holiday season coping can be particularly difficult.
God has prescribed a way to handle everything … as the Bible says, “More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” Romans 5:3-5. Though it is completely counterintuitive, God wants us to first be thankful for suffering. Why on earth would this be? Well, because of the fruit it produces for starters, but more importantly this trial/test/struggle can draw us closer to God if we learn to suffer well. Once we are postured correctly to see this season of struggle as “good”, we must now offer it up to God as a sacrifice. Through prayer and petition we must surrender our suffering in order that it may be transformed. Because the problem of suffering is that it keeps us focused on self, and our situation.
If we can learn to rely on Christ in the midst of suffering to see it as an opportunity to learn and grow, then that is half the battle. You see, Jesus was known as the suffering servant. Even before birth Jesus knew He would be mocked, rejected, betrayed, crucified, etc., and yet He trusted in God that it would all be worked out for a greater good. Psalm 32:7 says “You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah.” Three ways in which we can hide in God is through the daily reading of the Bible, prayer, and serving others. Through each of these ways we begin to focus on Him more and us less. Another thing we need as believers is fellowship and wise counsel. Getting into a small group or care group is a fantastic way to break the silence of your suffering. When we remain silent our suffering takes on greater power. Also, in a multitude of counselors there is wisdom. Confiding in a friend, pastor, accountability partner, counselor, etc. is one of the best ways to gain perspective and have a chain of support to help you through your suffering.
Though I don’t encourage folks to go looking for trouble, we are promised that it is coming. Instead of running from it, self-medicating it or escaping it, I believe God wants to transform us in the midst of our suffering so it can become a part of our testimony to encourage and help others in their walk. Nothing glorifies God more than a tested faith leading to a transformed heart, and learning to suffer well grants us great gains in the spiritual maturity department. I pray even today God reminds you of this when you find yourself struggling to hold on to your faith.