Suffering is to be expected

By “suffering” I mean physical, mental, and spiritual.

In the last chapter we looked at that which we cannot ignore or dodge, the persecution and turbulent times that Jesus stated would come, both in the present and the future. As we would say, “the devil be busy.” We have lived in the age of anxiety since the Fall as recorded in Genesis chapters one to five.

Suffering, and all three types above, are common to humankind. No one is immune, yet as a pastor, I have constantly witnessed that Christians are shaken when something bad happens to family members, friends, and themselves.

This is a common reaction, and from Christians who are biblically literate. It is an emotional reaction, usually of short duration, sometimes, however, not so short.

Nowhere in the Bible is it stated, or even hinted at, that Christians get a pass from suffering, which then shows that biblical Christianity is healthy.  The Bible is quite unspiritual in that it is reality oriented. Jesus, Paul, Peter, and so on, suffered so very much, and no excuses given. Every form of suffering is normal.

Physical Suffering

Maybe an accident, or disease, results in a physical disability. Lives change, sometimes dramatically. Family members lives are impacted as well. We wonder, “Is this the will of God?” “Why did this happen to me?” “Am I being punished?” “I thought God was a good God.”

            Perhaps medical technology is able to bring healing. God still heals, and maybe this happens, as I have witnessed on dozens of occasions. And speaking of miraculous healings as I saw up close and personal in the days of the Jesus People Movement, not all were healed and without exception, everyone later experienced some form of physical problem including death. Sometime nature takes it course and a natural healing takes place. But sometimes the sufferings last and last.

There is no promise in Scripture that ‘good’ people won’t suffer. If it did, the Bible would be a dangerous book. Since the author is God Himself, who made us in His image, and determined the boundaries and scope of our living, it is built into the process that physical suffering is to be expected.

            Most people understand this, it is when they have false expectations that there are difficulties.

I am going to be ill; right now I have a thyroid problem and take a serious medication because I am glucose intolerant and if I am not careful, I will develop diabetes. Plus, I wear glasses and do not hear so well anymore. Will I grumble and complain? If I do, this is not an expression of a healthy mind, and it is to the mind we turn next.

Mental suffering

Yes, Christians experience mental illness. I have several good friends, some of them in the professional ministry, who struggle with bipolar illness, both bipolar 1 and 2. In addition, I am close to people who suffer from depression, Obsessive/compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, and other diagnosable disorders.

            In fact, we have two support groups in our congregation, one for relatives of those who suffer from mental illness, and one for peers, those who actually have a mental illness.

            During the 1970s, while pastor of the Church of the Open Door in San Rafael, I operated a Christian counseling center. I loved the work, there was never a fee though people would slip me a twenty now and then, but four days a week, six appointments a day, and for ten years I met with folks, and my style was “talk therapy.” My college back ground in psych helped immensely and I learned a great deal about mental illness.

            It was not unusual for pastors of churches, and sometimes from counties other than Marin, come for counsel. Some of these struggled from high states of anxiety, and a few from serious bipolar conditions. (At that time the term was manic-depression.)

A rather huge obstacle was being able to admit that one was suffering from a mental disorder. Over time these dear people came to realize they were not being punished, had not sinned, and were in fact not responsible for the illness no more than one is blameworthy for being diabetic or having a flu bug. Once this fact was admitted, treatment could begin.

            In that era there was a rather substantial stigma associated with mental illness. To counter this, I spoke of the fact that I was prone to anxiety, not only now, but that I still am. From time to time I mentioned that as a teenager I was a hypochondriac, that my youngest brother was diagnosed with schizophrenia when he returned from the Vietnam War, and later killed himself when he went off his meds. I stated this many a time, and for a reason. I wanted those who suffered from mental illness to understand they could talk about their disorder and seek treatment openly.

Before we come to Christ, we are convicted to repent of our sin, thus we have to admit to. So too, to get help from any illness we must admit to having it and then seek help. This is healthy. We are Christians by identity, yet as saints we carry with us the effects of the Fall.

Spiritual suffering

“The dark night of the soul” is an expression oft heard, maybe not so much today, but in times past. The reference is to spiritual struggles, battles, with defeats in those battles, to the point one might consider suicide. I have had this happen to me.

If you have not had such a dark night, you may well yet do so. There is a hint or two in the Apostle Paul’s writing that he went through some excruciating trials. He comes right out with his pain, and this is healthy.

Did not Jesus do the same? We read of His anguish in John 17. Take the time to read it and you will see. (Remember the sweating.)

In my experience I have counselled any number of folks who thought God had abandoned them. The heavens seemed veiled in lead. God was nowhere to be found; no comforter was comforting.

Spiritual suffering may accompany physical and/or mental suffering. These may go together, and it does not require much understanding to see how the illnesses can overlap.

It is healthy to be mindful that we are God’s beloved children, loved by the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And I mean ‘mindful’ in the biblical sense. I am mindful when I reflect on the fact that Jesus has paid the price on the cross for my sinning. I think of the reality that I am indwelt by the Holy Spirit. I meditate on the truth that I have a home in heaven and that nothing in all creation can take it from me. My name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Yes, that settles it, and I am mindful of this and it is so very healthy to set aside a time in each day, if only five minutes, to apply these great truths to our lives.

We are hopeful people, us Christians.