The only wise way of responding to suffering

If there is any time in the history of our lives to respond as God would have us respond, it is now.  Never before in our lifetimes have we seen such universal ambiguity, financial upheaval and concern for physical welfare.  The world is changing before our eyes.  The new normal isn’t a static destination we have arrived at yet.  Indeed, the new normal is a state of constant flux.  The burgeoning, now ever-present ambiguity leaves us feeling hypervigilant in our vulnerability.  With our backs against the wall, even more than ever are we counselled to trust God.  There is no other way to succeed.

I have found myself situated in Hebrews chapter 12 for the past six months; before COVID.  Perhaps it was prophetic direction, or perhaps I just needed it anyway.  The wisdom in this chapter is the word for today, because today we are faced with a suffering that is neither directly nor indirectly caused by our own negligence.  We are exhorted in verse 7 to “endure trials as divine discipline.”

We far too easily resent being placed in situations and circumstances that are unfair.  Of course, this is our human nature, and we have all fallen into this temptation.  You may well ask, “How on earth is anything that isn’t my fault a form of ‘divine discipline’?”  It’s a good question to take up with God one day, but in the meantime, we can be comforted in the knowledge that God won’t waste the suffering we accept as a mystery, being children of God.  Accepting any suffering that we endure on account of it being the situation and circumstances we have been placed in is accepting a mystery, and it can only be done in humility.  Indeed, we can see here that God has engineered the choice: be humble or fall; be humble and find our way through the suffering; be humble and grow.

See how pride causes us to sin in response to the suffering we are called to endure, even as we didn’t cause the suffering?  If we didn’t cause our suffering, if we didn’t sin in it coming about, then why are we responding through a response that causes us to suffer more?  Of course, it is understandable to not be at peace in these times.  To experience the fullness of grief outbound of loss in faith that it won’t kill us.  Not being at peace is the invitation to work through the period of privation patiently — “accepting hardship as the pathway to peace,” as the long form of the Serenity Prayer has it — in faith that through our eventual resilient response we will grow through this divine discipline — which is training, not a beating.

Such a discipline isn’t necessarily about receiving a rod across our back as chastisement, but it is more so the discipline of training.  When we haven’t caused our suffering, we’re not being disciplined, but by responding humbly we’re becoming disciplined.  See the difference?  The suffering that we endure is a conditioning for now and the future, and what it is teaching us is and will be indispensable for now and for the times ahead.  Like Job, when we suffer innocently, we’re being refined through the hardship because humility causes growth.  You read that right: a suffering we did not cause sets up the opportunity for growth when we humbly accept the suffering as if we did cause it.  There is no surer way to entreat the Lord’s blessing.

See how we can “consider it pure joy when we face trials of many kinds” per James 1:2-4?  We can’t grow otherwise.  Of course, this is not to say we can ever glory in our hardships.  They will be hard!  Harder than we can ever contemplate.  So hard they will break us... many times.  Yet, God raises us.  Nothing can defeat us when we suffer humbly overall.

The only sensible lens through which to view suffering right now, or at any very difficult time, is through the lens of discipline.  Not through the lens of discipline for being naughty, but through the lens of discipline for training.  Suffering with endurance has the goal of teaching us faith.  It is designed to strengthen us further.

There are two temptations, below, to be wary of in responding through either pride or despair:

“Do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, [pride]
and do not lose heart by it either, [despair]
because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, [we do well to know God loves us that much!]
and God corrects everyone our Lord embraces.”  (Hebrews 12:5b-6)

If only we can keep a straight gaze and stick to the narrow way through these tremulous times — whatever cross we’re called to bear — we will avoid the slippery slope of falling away to the sides of “damn you, God!” or, “This isn’t happening,” or, “God, I’m too stunned to go on.”

Base Photo (not words) by Parsing Eye on Unsplash