The Gift

It is the rare Christian who looks at suffering as a Gift.  I can probably count on one hand the number of Saints that I have encountered who see suffering in this way.  And, I have come to believe they've discovered the truth about how to achieve and maintain the authentic Christian life.

The usual reaction to suffering from those of us who follow Christ is that of disbelief that such a thing could be happening, frustration with God that He would allow such suffering, and self-pity--allowing Satan to drag us into the pit of despair where we wallow in darkness and the false feeling of abandonment.

But if we remain open to God...open to receive His teaching through the suffering--how much power and wisdom would we bring to His sheep having borne that cross and experienced God's strength and grace?!

If we were to remain closed and resistant to the suffering...staying in our pits of despair and incessantly asking "why," what good are we afterwards to His sheep?  We are bitter, wounded beyond healing and thus of no use to God.  Oh, how He wants to use us!  How He wants to mold us into the likeness of His Son.

Going the way of the Cross is not easy.  But if we say we are followers of Christ...with that comes the cross.

Can we ever get to the place where, like Peter, we say, "Beloved, do not be amazed and bewildered at the fiery ordeal which is taking place to test your quality, as though something strange, unusual or alien were befalling you.  But insofar as you are sharing Christ's sufferings, rejoice, so that when His glory is revealed, you may also rejoice with triumph. (I Peter 4:12-13)


Can we ever get to the place to consider suffering a "gift," knowing that the Lord is testing, teaching, refining, shaping and molding us into His likeness?  Can we receive it as a privilege?  Can we welcome it, embrace it and with God's peace that passeth understanding...endure, knowing that we will be stronger and wiser in Christ on the other end of it?  And thus be able to effectively and wisely "feed His sheep?"

Lord, push me to not sit in the pit of my despair waiting for the storm to pass, but teach me to learn to dance in the rain!  To receive my suffering as a gift, accepting it in humility knowing You feel I am worthy of it.

And in receiving it, knowing, as Peter says, "that after I have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, Who has called me to His own eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will Himself complete and make me what I ought to be, establish and ground me securely, and strengthen and settle me."  (I Peter 5:10)