How To Move Through Suffering And Come Back StrongerSample

Donna Gibbs: How to Move Through Suffering and Come Back Stronger Devotional Day 1

Making Sense of Suffering

Scripture: Romans 8:17

Some popular preachers say that if you have enough faith, you will be protected from difficulty, and you will live a wealthy and prosperous life. This theology is simply not true. Here’s what Scripture says about suffering. 

Paul writes in Romans 8:17 that suffering is a part of the Christian life. For the early believers, and Paul himself, this sharing of suffering involved persecutions of all kinds—social, economic, and physical. The Christian life does not promise prosperity; it actually promises struggle. 

Some of our anguish is the result of our choices. Suffering that results from our sin is often the most difficult to endure because it involves personal regret over once controllable and avoidable circumstances. Maybe you can identify because you are currently in misery due to the natural consequences of some of your choices.

Other suffering comes at the hands of others, through their selfishness, negligence, or, even more severely, their evil and criminal behavior. The most obvious biblical example of this form of suffering is Jesus—an innocent man who took on the sins of the world and suffered a horrific death.

We’re especially reminded of our human fragility when we experience pain that is not caused by ourselves or anyone else. Sometimes we face a devastating diagnosis or a natural disaster and are humbled by our weakness as we suffer with the consequences of something that is completely out of our control.

It’s difficult to make sense of suffering that can’t be blamed on someone or something else. This makes coping more challenging and sometimes causes us to become stuck in our anguish. 

Wherever it comes from, suffering is a normal part of the human experience. Our world has seen evidence of pain since shortly after the beginning of creation. Brokenness is normal. Affliction is part of the human condition. If that were the end of the story, it would have a depressing and discouraging conclusion. Thanks be to God, it is not the end of the eternal story, and it is not the end of your story! As you become aware of the destructive thoughts and habits that keep you stuck, you can begin the process of suffering well.

What are some of your personal experiences of suffering?