Hundredfold Ministries, Int'l

All of us at one time or another examines the age-old question, "If God is a kind, loving God, why does He allow people to suffer?" In this chapter I want to explore the various scriptural aspects of suffering, and in particular, the sufferings of Christians. I am convinced that suffering is an aspect of life which the Lord wants us to understand.

I fully realize that this is not an easy subject. I also realize that there will be those who read this chapter who are suffering unspeakably. No "teaching" should in any way make light of the reality of the agony and pain many are enduring. Nor do I want anything I say to add guilt to the pain many are presently bearing. Rather it is my hope that the ideas set forth in this chapter will bring understanding to those who are suffering and through that understanding ease the weight of their heavy burden.

Webster's dictionary defines suffering as, "the bearing or undergoing of pain, distress, or injury." We have all seen people suffer physical pain or injury. This kind of suffering is usually easy to see. It is visible. But there is also invisible pain and invisible injury. These are endured emotionally and mentally. This kind of suffering can be more easily hidden. It becomes visible only when the severity of the invisible suffering becomes so great that it begins to affect the outward behavior of the one suffering. As we proceed through the subject of Christian suffering remember that, because suffering can be physical and/or mental/emotional, it can be both visible and invisible.

Theological Clarification

Dozens of times in the face of tragedy or severe suffering I have heard people ask, "How could God do this?" This question implies that it is God who caused the accident or brought about a severe illness or stressful situation. This question is not only theologically unsound, it borders on blasphemy. We Christians must recognize that this world is not ours, nor does it belong even to God. It belongs to Satan. And we are, as Peter described us, ". . . aliens and strangers in the world . . . ." (1 Pet 2:11 NIV) As aliens and strangers, we should, rather than accuse God, recognize that our "real" place is with Christ and God our Father in the eternal where there is no suffering, only indescribable joy.

Sources of Suffering

Sometimes it helps to look at the various sources of Christian suffering. If we understand the sources of the suffering it helps us to know how to pray and how to act. This understanding can give a focus and a clarity of vision.

1. Man/Natural

We live in a world populated with billions of people. All of these people are, to some degree selfish, inconsiderate and willful. At best many are just thoughtless and unmindful of the effects that their words and deeds have on others. They say and do things that have devastating impact on other people. They never give a thought to the suffering others may endure because of their actions.

A most tragic example of this is drunk drivers and auto accidents. It's obvious that the person who becomes intoxicated on alcohol or drugs has no intent of driving his or her vehicle onto the street to purposefully kill or injure others. But such thoughtless people do send many to the grave, permanently maim others, and in general, decrease the quality of life of many thousands every year. These kinds of people cause suffering.

Many more examples can be given of suffering caused by man. For instance, a selfish, thoughtless spouse/parent can inflict horrible pain and agony on his or her family. A cruel, mean-spirited employer can produce great misery on those whom he employs. The long-term suffering produced by sexual abuse is often indescribable, particularly when it involves children. The list seems endless.

I have also listed "the natural world" as a source of suffering along with man. By "natural" I am referring to the fact that there are also natural causes of suffering. In this category, not only are there earthquakes, floods, droughts, and so on, but there are various diseases and illness that may be categorized as natural. For example, your child comes home from school with the flu bug and the whole household comes down with the flu. This flu is caused by a natural virus. We live in a fallen world where it is appointed to us all to eventually decline and die. ". . . it is appointed unto men once to die . . ." (Heb 9:27 KJV) Our illnesses and deaths can be caused by a cancer virus, a heart that just quits, or dozens of other natural causes. These then are the natural sources of suffering that may eventually lead to death.

2. Self

Often people suffer because of their own deeds. This is difficult for many of us to admit, but it's true. Generally we like to think of ourselves as always right . . . always the victim, never the cause of our own problems. In order to make this belief system work we become masters at blame-shifting, thereby making someone else the bad guy. Blame-shifting isn't new. Adam was the first to use it. God asked, ". . . Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?" (Gen 3:11 NIV) Paraphrasing Adam's response, he answered, "It's this woman that you put here with me, it's her fault . . . I'm innocent!" We are all still suffering from what Adam did!

Whether or not we blame-shift isn't the point here. The fact is we often bring suffering down on ourselves because of our own words and deeds. For example, if we speak words in a careless way, or in anger, these words can be like missiles that produce irreversible results and great suffering to us.

Under the heading of "self" it seems appropriate to also refer to the irrevocable law of sowing and reaping. Galatians 6:7 says, "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows." (NIV) In the southern United States where I was raised there was a common saying used to describe the sinful life-style of wayward young people. To describe such a person's actions folks say, "He (or she) is sowing his wild oats." That's very graphic, isn't it? Unfortunately, such wild oats don't just fall to the ground and lie there forever . . . they grow and multiplying themselves "some thirty, some sixty and some an hundredfold"! This ungodly sowing reaps a harvest which may only manifest itself five, ten or twenty years later. Yes, we may be forgiven for all our sins . . . but the consequences of sin will be reaped to the full. King David received forgiveness for his sin with Bathsheba but he did indeed reap the consequences of his sin. David sowed seeds of family destruction and reaped that harvest from his son Absalom.

3. A Curse

Suffering can come upon us through a curse. Concerning the worship of idols the Lord said, "You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sins of their fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, . . ." (Exo 20:5 NIV emphasis added.) That's straightforward. There is no mistaking the fact that the children of idol worshippers and God haters are under a curse . . . to the third and fourth generation!

A God hater is fairly easy to identify, but what is an idol worshipper? First let's define the word "idol." The Bible teaches us that an idol is anything that takes the place of God. If so, what are some of the things that take the place of God today? How about pride, the pursuit of pleasure, personal ambitions, wealth, a job, a person, or recreation. Whatever form it may take, these things can and do become idols. When they do so they take the place of God.

Then where does that leave the children, grand children, great grandchildren and even the great, great grandchildren of such idol worshippers and God haters? The answer is plain. They are under a curse. Might not this curse take the form of suffering of one sort or another. Obviously, the answer is yes.

We may also bring a curse down on ourselves by participating in today's cultic practices offered by demonic forces. Here I am speaking of things such as witchcraft, satanism, fortune telling, eastern religions, new age, etc. Any participation in these things certainly opens the door for a curse . . . a self-invoked curse.

But God has not left us as powerless victims of the evil deeds done by us or done in past generations by some ancestor we never even knew. God has made the most glorious provision to remove any curse from us! For the Bible says, "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.'" (Gal 3:13 NIV) Thus, no matter what we or our family line may have been involved in, we can break that curse through the power of Jesus Christ!

However, while we need to understand that this power is available in Christ, it doesn't flow into us automatically at salvation. We must actively invoke His power to break a curse. This is done by verbally renouncing our evil inheritance, our involvement in the occult, etc., and then verbally declaring ourselves to be free from all curses because Jesus is our Savior and He took our curse upon Himself at Calvary. Hallelujah!

4. The Demonic World

Suffering can be caused by the demonic world. Many times I have encountered people who were robbed of their health, finances, relationships, or even the life of a loved one by demonic forces. We are told that Satan is a lion and that he robs, kills and destroys. (1 Pet 5:8; Jn 10:10) One of his most effective means of robbing us is through suffering. He can cause accidents, illnesses, family strife, etc. Or while he may not be the cause of a difficult situation, he will certainly use the difficulty to multiply the pain, confusion and general suffering already present. Remember, "Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." (1 Pet 5:8 NIV) The enemy can get a foothold in a situation when someone involved in the circumstances is involved in rebellion against God. In such instances the demonic world finds a haven in which to act out its evil intent to ". . . rob, kill and destroy."

Let me speak directly here about protecting our families from this kind of suffering from the enemy. God has established the family as a spiritual unit. In this unit He has given the authority to parents to cover their family with a spiritual covering against attack from the Satanic/demonic kingdom. When this covering is properly erected the demonic world is powerless to assault anyone under it. But, when this covering is not provided, or there are sinful life-styles in the family, family members are vulnerable. Spiritual attacks may come in the form of torn relationships, disease, illnesses, injury, accidents, financial stress, and so on. When a godly head of the household (preferably the father) 1) erects and maintains this covering over his family and, 2) family members live godly lives, such problems from the demonic world are greatly diminished. If there is no godly father or husband present, the mother/wife can assume the authority and exercise it.

Every day I verbally declare before the throne of God and to the demonic rulers in high places that the Murphy household is off limits to principalities, powers and the demonic world. I name each family member and declare him or her to be under the covering of authority God has given me and that no demonic being has any power to harm in any way those whom God has given into my charge for protection. Note, this covering extends primarily over those family members who are right with God. It cannot extend over any adult (or young adult) family members who are in sin.

Most unfortunately, many, many Christians ignorantly or lazily failed to erect the God given cover over their family, thereby leaving the entire family open to demonic attack.

5. God

Finally, God can even be the cause of suffering. Let me give an example from Scripture:

In God's conversation with Ananias, the Damascus disciple whom God sent to pray for the blinded Saul, the Lord said, "I will show him how much he must suffer for my name." (Acts 9:16 NIV, emphasis added.) Obviously, the Apostle Paul, as one of God's chosen vessels, was Divinely appointed to suffer, and that suffering shines throughout Paul's letters. So we see that there are those who are called by the Lord to suffer. I do not believe that most of us are called to suffer in this way. I believe those who are called in this manner are extraordinary individuals through whom God can and does accomplish mighty things.

We need also to recognize that suffering may come from two or more sources in a given situation. For example, if a young adult is out on the road where he shouldn't be, and is hit by a drunk driver, the fault is shared between the two. In such a case the source of suffering is "man" and "self." Then, as if to add insult to injury, the demonic world may enter the situation and exaggerate the circumstances with lies, accusations and half-truths. Now there are three sources of suffering, "man," "self" and "demonic."

Why Does God Allow Suffering?

We also need to understand that, regardless of the source, God uses the suffering as a tool of His righteousness. The Holy Spirit will seize the opportunity of our suffering as a means to accomplish God's purpose and His will for the life of the sufferer.

Often the Holy Spirit moves in the midst of a Christian's suffering and begins an inward heart molding, purging away the sin and dross that separates us from nearness with Jesus. He is using it as an instrument to produce spiritual, permanent changes in one's heart. If the Lord is accomplishing this, He isn't going to be in a rush to relieve the suffering, is He? I know that to some this may seem callous or even cruel, but the opposite is true. For God knows that we are creatures of eternity and that whatever kind of heart we take with us into eternity, we are going to live with it forever! So He is merciful in his use of suffering to accomplish this purifying of the heart for all eternity.

It has often been said that adverse circumstances such as suffering will do one of two things to a person. It will make that person bitter or better. If we yield to the Lord and allow Him to do his perfect work in us, suffering will make us better. But if we harden our heart and fight against God, suffering will make us bitter.

We need to learn to pray for God to give us understanding, regardless of the source of suffering. This is the kind of prayer I have in mind.

"Heavenly Father, you know the pain I am enduring. The Bible tells us that Jesus suffered for us . . . the Sinless suffered for the sinner, so I know you share in my pain. Lord, help me in my suffering to become better, not bitter. Help me to know your grace in a fuller way so I can bear this pain.

Father, stand with me now in my hour of need. I ask these things in the name of my Lord and Savior, Jesus. Amen."

God Uses Suffering to Reach the Unbeliever

I once knew a man who resisted the witness of Jesus for over fifty years. One day a doctor told him that he had less than three months to live. The first person he telephoned was the pastor who had been trying to lead him to Christ for years. He told the pastor, "Come and tell me about Jesus. I'm ready to listen now."

We have all heard testimonies of new Christians who came to the Lord through trauma and suffering. It is very common for unregenerate mankind to turn a deaf ear to the Holy Spirit's call to salvation as long as life is "good." Then we don't need Jesus because we are self-sufficient. But let suffering enter our lives and suddenly our ears are wide open! God does indeed know how to get our attention, doesn't He?

It is my own belief that when we see suffering in the life of an unbeliever, our overwhelming prayer should be, "Lord, use this suffering to bring that person to you." We should be very slow to pray for relief from the suffering unless and until that person turns to Jesus.

How God Uses Suffering in the Believer

1. Suffering Roots Out Sin

Sometimes we Christians become deeply rooted in sin or in a life style that is destructive to ourselves or others. Often, in such cases, we aren't willing to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit's correction. So He patiently waits for the right time to speak, a time when our ears are open and we are ready to listen to His voice. Suffering has a way of opening the ears of the human heart. Our ears are much more sensitive when we find ourselves lying on a bed in pain, unable to meet our financial obligations, involved in a broken relationship, and so on.

Or perhaps our sin is that we are just luke warm Christians and the Holy Spirit is wanting to pull us closer to Jesus. Is it not logical to assume that He would use suffering as a means of bringing us closer to Himself? I think so. Suffering brings the believer close to Jesus in a way no other aspect of human experience can.

2. Suffering Offers Opportunities to Witness to Others

Look at the Apostle Paul's words regarding his suffering while imprisoned:

Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly. (Phi 1:12-14 NIV)

It is clear from Paul's statement that he fully accepted his suffering as a means of witnessing to others. I have known of Christians who, in the agony of suffering, would joyfully use their suffering as a means of witnessing to all who came their way, leading many to Christ.

3. Suffering Can Be a Means of Sanctification

Suppose a believer is proud, arrogant, and boastful. Then suppose he or she falls under the humbling power of long, agonizing suffering. Through suffering that person can become a broken, gentle, quiet spirited person who radiates the love of God in such a manner that all clearly see God's love reflected in that previously proud person. Is this not the sanctifying work of God? Does not this kind of change glorify Jesus just as much as the opening of the eyes of the physically blind? Yes, perhaps even more so, because eyes are part of our physical, temporal being while the heart attitude is of our spiritual, eternal being. The glory of a changed heart will shine eternally . . . physical eyesight lasts only as long as we have a body.

4. Suffering Separates Us from the Flesh

Suffering diminishes the power of the flesh. Suffering accomplishes the work of the cross in our lives by separating the flesh from the spirit. As we learn to truly take up our cross, the power of the flesh decreases while the power of the spirit increases. I believe this is what Peter meant when he wrote, "Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God." (1 Pet 4:1-2 NIV, emphasis added.)

It is clear from what Peter wrote that suffering turns human eyes from the things of this world to the will of God for the life of the sufferer. From all appearances, people who truly suffer seem to be much freer from the carnality of sin when compared to those who haven't suffered. It seems as if they are indeed "done with sin."

I believe that this separation from the flesh and the world is a process. It is not accomplished overnight. This kind of suffering which eliminates sin takes time.

God Gives the Sufferer Earthly and Eternal Rewards

God, in His infinite mercy and goodness, blesses in a very special way those who suffer. These blessings are more in the spiritual realm than they are in the natural. Therefore the blessings that flow from suffering are more lasting and of greater value.

1. God Gives the Sufferer Membership Into a Special Club

Part of this blessing is the induction of the sufferer into a special club of those who have suffered for Christ. This club of suffering has some members with big names, names like Joseph, Moses, Jeremiah, Stephen, Paul, Barnabus, Peter, James, John, and of course, Jesus Himself. There are countless others in this club who have suffered down through the centuries. Paul wrote,

"I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death." (Phi 3:10 NIV, emphasis added.)

Some time ago I was pondering the meaning of Paul's statement, "sharing in his sufferings." Then several days later I was watching a news event on television. The TV camera captured an emotional reunion of two World War II marines who had fought together and served as prisoners of war together. When these two men saw each other for the first time in over 40 years, they tearfully embraced. The entire scene was charged with emotion, companionship, and camaraderie. An unbreakable bond joined these two men together. This bond was forged in the midst of adversity because of the great suffering that they had shared.

As I was rejoicing and marveling at the power of that scene, the Holy Spirit spoke to me. He told me that that scene was a small example of what it meant to share in Jesus' suffering. When we share in His sufferings there comes a supernatural bond of fellowship between us and Jesus that cannot be adequately expressed with mere words. When we join the fellowship of His sufferings and joyfully bear it by focusing our eyes on Jesus, we become bonded to Jesus in a very special way.

There is another aspect of this bonding through suffering. It occurs when we are bonded to all others who have and are similarly suffering for and in Christ. We are privileged to be co-sufferers with others in the body of Christ. I have observed and experienced a kind of shared suffering with others. I believe this can happen two different ways.

First, it can happen as we join our hearts and spirits with those who are suffering. We hurt because they hurt. I believe this kind of bonding is encompassed in Romans 12:15 when Paul tells us we are to "mourn with those who mourn." Another example of this co-suffering is when intercessors pray for some situation or some missionary in a far away land. I have seen and read about such intercessors who suffer in their spirits an agony of union with the one about whom they are in prayer. This agony of union is awesome to behold.

The second aspect of co-suffering occurs when we are personally experiencing suffering, be it physical, emotional, etc., and we can relate to others who similarly suffer. Once we experience suffering, we are bonded to co-sufferers in a deep and blessed way.

It should be noted that this bond of co-suffering is completely voluntary on our part. If the Holy Spirit burdens us with another's suffering, we are free to turn from such a burden. Of course, if we do so, we lose the blessing which accompanies such a bonding. It is His will that we bear one another's burdens (Gal 6:2) and thereby share in the blessings.

2. The Sufferer is Blessed by Being Brought Into God's Glory

How does suffering bring one into God's glory? Let's look at Romans 5:

". . . we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.

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, char- acter; and character, hope." (Rom 5:2-4 NIV)

We see at the end of Paul's discourse that the object of suffering is hope.

Remember the bumper sticker shown in chapter 30?

"I Sure Feel Better Since I Gave Up Hope" At first glance that statement seems quite unscriptural, doesn't it? But it expresses a real truth when it is examined more closely. If my hope is rooted in anything other than the glory of God it must be given up! If my hope is in the arm of the flesh, be it my own, a doctor's, a banker's, or any other institution of this world, then my hope is wrongly based. The Bible says, ". . . we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God" and Paul says that the way we get this (real) hope is through suffering!

Moreover, Paul goes on to say:

Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. (Rom 8:17-18 NIV)

Here Paul makes it radiantly clear that sharing in the sufferings of Christ is inseparably coupled with sharing in His glory! I believe Paul so understood this concept that it was the basis of his yearning plea that he may ". . . know Christ . . . and the fellowship of his sufferings . . . ." (Phi 3:10) It seems as if Paul's vision reached into eternity. He saw the glory that awaits those who suffer and he wanted to be among them. He wanted to obtain that hope of glory.

Yes, the scriptural end of suffering is God's hope and His glory. But, in order to grasp this hope and glory, we must have an eternal perspective. Our time on this earth is short while our time with the Lord in eternity is without end! That's what Paul meant when he said, ". . . that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us"! (Rom 8:18 NIV)

What Are We to do in the Midst of Suffering?

In light of all of the above, are we to simply blindly tell the poor soul who is suffering to just "tough it out"? Or are we to lie down with a fatalistic view and passively accept whatever comes along as "the will of God"? Let's see how God's Word answers these questions. 1. James' Counsel

James wrote, "Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray ...Is any one of you sick [suffering]? He should call the elders of the church and pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. if he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." (Jas 5:13-16 NIV, emphasis added.)

I believe that this Scripture is often misapplied. In many instances James' instructions have been reduced to a ritual in which the official elders of a church ceremonially anoint a sick person with little thought or prayer. I don't believe that's what James intended. The reason for naming elders as those who should pray is that presumably those elders are the spiritually mature members of the body. They know God's voice. They have a life style of prayer and can hear when the Holy Spirit speaks God's truth regarding a sufferer. I believe that we should broaden James' term "elder" to include all who are mature in Christ and who know how to hear the Lord's voice. As they pray for and with the sufferer they can speak with clarity regarding God's will in the matter. If the cause of the suffering is sin, the elders should confront the person in love about the sin. If the cause is Satan, the elders will confront Satan and stand with the sufferer against the enemy's attack. If the cause is a disease or ailment of the body, the elders can pray for God's healing touch, encourage medical help, and can simply give comfort and encouragement.

As a proper example of an elder praying for the sick, I once heard Judson Cornwall tell about a time when the Holy Spirit forbade him to anoint a sick woman with oil or to pray for her healing. Some days later, when she was near death, she finally confessed gross sin. After her confession and forgiveness she fully recovered. I suspect that Cornwall's unusual refusal to pray for her healing played a large part in her repentance.

2. Stand With the Sufferer

Once proper prayer has been raised, and it is collectively determined that God's hand is indeed in the situation, we must stand with the sufferer. We are to beseech God for His relief, His grace and His mercy. Remember, Scripture tells us to ". . . mourn with those who mourn." (Rom 12:15 NIV) But, if we determine that God's hand is not in the situation, we are to resist the suffering with every fibre of our being! We are to stand against the situation and exercise our authority over principalities, powers and the satanic kingdom with and on behalf of the sufferer.

Note here again that I am not suggesting it is always all one way or another. Very often an illness has a natural, physiological cause, but Satan comes in and uses the circumstances to try to defeat us. Again, with the wisdom of the godly, we need to sort out what is really happening. Then we can stand against what needs to be fought off while still extending a loving hand of support.

3. Peter's Counsel

Finally, let's look at Peter's counsel in this matter, "So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good." (1 Pet 4:19 NIV, emphasis added.) Here Peter is telling us that if our suffering is indeed God's will, there isn't much we can do about it! If this is the case, he says we are to do two things: 1) commit ourselves to God, and 2) continue to do good. That describes one who says, "God, this hurts. I know you know how much I hurt. But God, it seems that for now this is what your will is for me. I accept this as from you for you are a God of love. You always have my best interest at heart. And Lord, I'm going to continue to tell everyone I see about your love, your mercy, your goodness and your faithfulness. Most of all, Lord, I'm going to tell others about how you died to redeem us from sin. Finally, Lord, as long as I have strength, I'm going to be praising you!"

Conclusion

In all my years as a believer, I have heard only a few sermons on the subject of suffering. Yet, I've heard dozens of messages on healing and deliverance from suffering. Yes, God does heal and deliver. That is an unequivocal, biblical fact. But there are also answers for those who aren't healed or delivered on our timetables. The Lord wants those who have and are suffering to be comforted with His comfort. The Lord wants them to be given new hope, a hope based on God's Word anchored in His everlasting glory.

This is my prayer for those who are suffering. Please join me.

Heavenly Father, I pray that you open the hearts of those who are now suffering. Open hearts to receive your tender love. Pour your all-sufficient grace into the deep crevices of each heart, the crevices made by the hurts of deep suffering. Lord, help those suffering not only to understand, but to embrace your gentle, loving hand. Give them a vision of the glory you have waiting for those who suffer. Lift their feet to the golden splendor of the streets above and let them see your eternal purpose and your smiling face as you say, "Well done! Good and faithful servant!"