QUESTIONS ANSWERED: SUFFERING
This question was placed in the ANPC question box on 5 July 2009 and answered during the service of 12 July 2009 by Pastor Simon van Bruchem.
Q: Having known that God is sovereign, and yet when faced with days ahead that seem hopeless, what are the practical things we can do to find assurance of hope in God and assurance of our faith? In other words, how do we find joy in the midst of suffering?
A: This question arose in response to a sermon on John 13
which raised the issue of Jesus being in control even of Judas’ betrayal. The devil could not control Judas until permitted by Jesus to do so (John 13:27). The conclusion drawn from this was that God is absolutely sovereign over all things, including evil things – nothing is beyond his control and sovereignty.
If this is true, that God is in control over everything, how can we cope when bad things happen to us? All of us suffer, and sometimes we can sympathize with the question writer in seeing days ahead that seem hopeless. There are a lot of things we cannot know as to the exact reasons why we are suffering in a certain way, but there are some things we can know for sure. We can know that (1) we are not suffering because God can’t do anything about our pain, and (2) we are not suffering because God doesn’t care about our pain. We have a God who cares and is completely in control, as seen in Jesus.
So how can we find joy in suffering? Joy is not the same as happiness. We are not called as Christians to be happy that bad things happy to us, it is not somehow better to suffer than not to suffer. There are some things that are bad things, and we shouldn’t pretend they are good. No, we can find joy because joy is deeper than happiness. Joy is knowing something of the big picture that is bigger than our current pain. Christians can have joy in suffering because whatever happens to them, they know God loves them in Jesus and has given them eternal life no-one can take away. This confidence in the present and the future love of God can give us joy even when times are unbearably tough for us.
We can learn from the example of the Psalmists here. So often in painful situations they pray to God about them. They look back to the past to see what God has done for them and their people in the past. Often we see the Psalmists refer to the Exodus or the conquest of the land to see God’s love and actions for His people. They are reminded of the evidence that God does care for them and for all His people, and they therefore know that God cares for them now and hears their prayers (see Psalm 80, 83 for examples). We too can look back to God’s love for us seen in Jesus’ death on the cross for us, and even to what God has done in our own lives in the past, and know He does care for us. We can be confident He still does care, despite our present pain.
So what practical steps can help when we are faced with days ahead that seem hopeless? I can suggest three things:
1. Use the church! We are intended to be a community, a group of people who support each other in following Jesus. If you are suffering, talk to other Christians about it, and they can help remind you of God’s goodness. If you are not suffering but see someone who needs help, offer to pray with them, talk with them, help them to see the joy in the bigger picture of God’s love.
2. Read the Bible. The Bible is where we see God’s love and care and actions for His people. Reading these again will remind us of the kind of God we serve, a God who controls all things and loves us.
3. Pray. Sometimes our suffering can make us realize we are not in control of things, only God is. We should ask God to sustain us, to remind us of His love, and to support us in our hard times. God is pleased to hear his children tell him of their issues and ask for His help.