Developing Horizons Magazine (2).pdf Spring 2015 | Page 20

The Gift of Suffering
By Craig McClure

Throughout America

small groups gather,
Sunday School classes meet, sermons are
preached and books
are written on spiritual
growth and sanctification. Daily the internet is
Craig, Joanna and family are flooded with new blogs
about how to become a
missionaries in the
more mature, devoted
Dominican Republic
Christ follower. However, I am under the conviction that one of the greatest
means by which God shapes us evermore into the
image of His Son is one we spend much of our time
trying to avoid: the uncomfortable testing of our faith,
our trials and suffering. This should not be surprising
for a faithful student of God’s Word. Frequently, scripture reminds us that God ordains tests as a refining
tool to grow and mature his people. Rather than fighting to avoid this momentary affliction, we should be
embracing it with great joy as one of the most intimate
means of spiritual growth.

Peter teaches not to be surprised by the fiery ordeal
among us. He also spoke twice of suffering as God’s
will: “For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that
should be God’s will, than for doing evil…Let those
who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls
to a faithful Creator while doing good” (1 Peter 3:17,
4:19). Then there is Paul in Philippians 1:29, “For it
has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ, you
should not only believe in Him but also suffer for His
sake.” Never do I recall meeting a Christian who did
not affirm that belief in Christ was a grace gift from
God. However, how many believers in your community of faith are willing to recognize also that suffering
is a granted gift from God? The supernatural reality
of this verse should compel all believers to reevaluate
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their perception of spiritual formation.
A first step in approaching the normally dreaded trials
in life with both joy and thanksgiving starts with a
change in perspective. As sojourners in this world,
Christians should be living with an eternal perspective,
that is to say, living a life that filters all of life’s circumstances through an eternity-centered worldview.
Once we evaluate our struggles in light of eternity we
are then able to consider them but a raindrop in the
ocean of eternity. An eternal perspective empowers us
to forsake the fear and anxiety of today for the hope
of glory. This was how Jesus was able to consider the
cross a joy. The greatest tragedy in all of history is the
death of Jesus Christ, yet through this unimaginable
God-ordained tragedy, hope entered a depraved world,
redemption was made available and sinners were
transformed into God-worshipers for the glory of his
name. This perspective produces a passionate pursuit
of Him as the sole source of our joy and contentment.
We are driven to Christ in authentic worship when we
recognize our suffering as a sanctifying agent of God
to testify to the godless that in spite of the difficulty
and heartache, Jesus is enough and I will glorify the
Lord.

Think of it this way: as we endure suffering with

patience, the sweetness of heaven increases, as does
our worship, which is one of the end goals of spiritual
growth. We understand our testing is not a sadistic
means of divine child abuse. Our trials are designed to
help us encounter heavenly gladness in Christ alone,
not in worldly prosperity. It's a resource deployed by
our heavenly Father to grow our faith and gently mold
us into His likeness and free us from the bondage that
exists in our fallen culture. As spiritual maturity takes
place, this approach to trials becomes more natural
because we recognize that the joy Paul experienced i