Suffering

You know those verses that say stuff about how its cool to suffer b/c we’re identifying with Christ when we do so. Verses like: “That I may know Him… and the fellowship of His sufferings (Philippians 3:10),” and “rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ (I Peter 4:13).” I’ve been wondering what that really means and why we should rejoice that we suffer. In my mind our suffering is incomparable to Christ’s b/c its on such different levels. We suffer from hurt feelings, unhappiness in jobs, financial issues, and broken relationships, etc. He suffered from a broken heart over a broken world that refused to believe Him and turn to Him. All he wants is our hearts and our allegiance. That’s all He wanted then and that’s all He wants now. So while we suffer on different scales, the act is the same. Undergoing hardship was a way of life for Christ and if we are to identify with Him in all aspects, we also will suffer. I took three verses on this subject and dissected them with my KJV key word Bible for us to know more background on how we are to look at suffering in a positive light. How can trials make us more Christ like?

Philippians 3:10 –

"That I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings; being made conformable unto his death."

Know – be aware of, feel, have knowledge, can speak, be sure, understand

Power – abundant ability; miracle worker; strength; mighty, wonderful work

Resurrection – a moral recovery of spiritual truth; to rise again from the dead

Fellowship – partnership, participation

Suffering – hardship or pain, an emotional affection, affliction

Made conformable – conformed to; fashioned like unto

So, with looking up what these words meant in the back, a longer definition of this verse could be:

That I may be sure of Him. So sure that I can confidently speak of Him with knowledge and understanding. That I may know Him and the miracle of His resurrection and the partnership we have in His hardship and affliction – that we are being fashioned like Him through His death.

Through our sufferings we are also experiencing a death. A death of ourselves! We’re being made like him in our hardships for a glorious resurrection of Christ in us! Just as Christ suffered, he glorified God by always keeping His focus heavenward. We must also take on this mindset. He suffered, died, and was raised again. We suffer, our flesh dies, and He’s raised in us! More of Him, less of us!

I Peter 4:12-13:

“Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you as though some strange thing happened unto you; But rejoice inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that when his glory shall be revealed ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.”

Try – (Greek word, peirasmos) [derivative of peirazo – endeavor, scrutinize, entice, examine, go about, prove, tempt] – putting to proof by experiment of good, experience of evil, discipline or provocation by implying adversity, temptation.

Sufferings – (pathema) - something undergone; i.e. hardship or pain; an emotion or influence – affection, affliction, suffering

Glad – (chairo) – to be cheerful, i.e. calmly happy or well off; especially as salutation or meeting and parting; be glad, God speed, hail, joy(fully) rejoice!

Exceeding joy – (agalliao) [der. of agan – to jump to gush, leap, spring up] – to jump for joy, exult, be exceeding glad with exceeding joy, rejoice greatly

Dearly loved one, these trials that are examining you, proving you (and your motives), disciplining you, tempting you to retreat your confidence in God; don’t think its strange as if you’re the only one going through this! Rejoice that you get to participate in the hardship and affliction of Christ, so that when His plan is revealed, you will jump for joy at what He had waiting for you all along!

One more – I Peter 5:10. This one’s my favorite!

“But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen you, settle you.”

Suffered – (pentho) to experience a sensation or impression (usually painful), passion, suffer, vex

Perfect – (katartizo) to complete thoroughly, i.e. repair or adjust – fit, frame, mend, make perfect, prepare, restore

Stablish – (sterizo) to turn resolutely in a certain direction or to confirm – fix, steadfastly set, strengthen

Strengthen – (sthenoo) bodily vigor, to confirm in spiritual knowledge and power

This one’s my favorite b/c of definitions of the verbs I looked up! Through the experience of suffering: this passionate sensation- that is usually painful, we are being made perfect in Him! (As perfect as we can be as humans) Christ is thoroughly completing us! He’s repairing our loose ends; adjusting us to be more like Him. He’s framing us with His righteousness. He’s restoring us, which means basically renovating us from the inside out. Gutting out all of our old sin and weaknesses so the new fixtures of His character will fit.

When do you call on Him more? During the perfect sunny days, or during the storms? I’d bet most of you said during the storms. That’s when we’re most needy and that’s when he probably hears the most prayers. It’s not as easy to be totally dependent on Him when everything is going our way. Through the trials you’re undergoing, He’s completing you. “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, b/c you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance MUST finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2)

If any of you are going through anything unpleasant, I feel ya! We’ve all been there. Consider it a privilege, knowing what this process is accomplishing in you. He loves you too much to leave you the way you are. He has big plans for you and in order to grow you into the person He’s created you to be, hardship must occur. He’d never put too much on your plate that you couldn’t handle though. Call on Him and He will answer you! “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.” Psalm 34:17. “His left arm is under my head, and his right arm embraces me.” Song of Solomon 2:6