Suffering
Cambridge dictionary definition: n. “physical or mental pain that a person or animal is experiencing”
It’s hard to write about something I hate and to be clear - I HATE SUFFERING! I have a low threshold for pain, be it physical, mental or emotional. I’ve known some of each in my life and it’s likely you have too. Not only do I hate it personally, but I have a hard time witnessing the suffering of others. I may have some cognitive understanding of why there’s suffering in the world but it doesn’t help me tolerate it. It’s like death - who wants to be around it long enough to get used to it? But both are real and as long as I live, suffering will require a response from me. When it’s a stranger’s suffering I can (all too easily) turn off the TV, swipe to the next image or simply walk on by, but that only denies my acceptance of its reality.
Suffering is overwhelming in that it highlights my limitations and lack of control. The immensity of the world’ssuffering isn’t something I can deny anymore than I can deny its reality in my own life. So…it begs the question – what can I do about it?
One answer is to pray.
Admittedly, I sense my smallness when I kneel before the Creator of the universe. Quite rightly, I am aware of my humanity when I bow my head. It is a good thing to humble myself before the Lord. I borrow from the words of King David and ask God to be close to the broken-hearted and to save those who are crushed in spirit. When names come to mind, I say them aloud. I ask God to meet them in their pain, to encourage them and, if possible, to end their suffering. I also ask their suffering would not be wasted, but that God would somehow accomplish His purposes through it, that His kingdom would come and His will would be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Though there is great merit to praying alone, there is also merit in praying with others. Coming together in prayer allows us to humble ourselves before God and one another. Together we admit our frailty and our utter dependency on God. Praying together reminds us we are part of a greater whole where our joys can be multiplied and our burdens divided. Jesus assures us when we gather together in His name, He is in our midst. That means our prayers hold power.
What else can we do besides pray? We can ask for hearts of compassion and eyes to see the suffering that is clearly within our power to alleviate. And when those things are brought to our attention, to act on them.
Good Friday is about remembering Jesus, our suffering Saviour, to reflect on His humility and passion. The night before He was crucified, He wrestled with His humanity. In the Garden of Gethsemane, He agonized before His Father and pleaded through bloody sweat, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.” God, the Father, did not remove the cup from His Son. Jesus’ suffering had purpose and we are the benefactors of it.
As believers, we can take heart the Son knows our anguish. He knows our struggle to face suffering and to endure it. God sent the Holy Spirit to comfort us in the midst of sorrow and suffering. And the Spirit can enable us to do our part in ministering to those who suffer.
“Lord, grant me the conviction to walk out my prayers and be your hands and feet in my world today. Amen"
What is your relationship with suffering? How do you handle it – when it’s yours, and when it’s another’s? Spend some time finding words to describe your own struggle with suffering. Turn your words into a prayer and lay it at the feet of Jesus.
“For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them. ”
“God is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. ”
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. ”
“And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” ”