What Good Can Come Out of Suffering?

Jesus was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, familiar with suffering. It is interesting to note that His suffering would be viewed by people as punishment from God. ‘Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted’ (Isaiah 53:4).

We can sometimes fall into that same distorted thinking when suffering comes. We may think God is punishing us, and we can inadvertently blame God for what has happened, especially if we have been trying to live uprightly before the Lord, or circumstances go in a different direction than hoped for.

The Bible tells us that Jesus learned obedience through the things that He suffered in (Hebrews 5:8). We know Jesus didn’t sin, and while people sometimes equate suffering with having done something wrong, yet we know Jesus didn’t do anything wrong. We read, ‘Because He Himself (in His humanity) has suffered in being tempted, He is able to help and provide immediate assistance to those who are being tempted and exposed to suffering’ (Hebrews 2:18, Amp).

It is interesting to think for a minute about Jesus learning obedience. Jesus humbled Himself in obedience, even to death on a cross (Philippians 2:8). But Jesus had learned obedience from a young age.

We read that Jesus remained at the temple at the age of twelve while his parents travelled home with fellow Jews, not realising Jesus was absent and had stayed behind in Jerusalem. They got worried about Him, and when they eventually found Him, He told them that He had been about his Father’s business.

Jesus didn’t stay behind out of disobedience, but when His parents found him, Jesus went back home with them to Nazareth and was submissive (obedient) to them (Luke 2:51). Jesus was learning submission and godly obedience, even as He walked a sin-free path.

The epistle of Peter distinguishes between punishment and suffering and explains that enduring suffering for doing good is commendable before God (1 Peter 2:20-23). Jesus tells us we will have suffering in this world (John 16:33), and following in His footsteps would include suffering (John 15:20),

Valleys in our life can often be marked with suffering, but it is in that exact place that the Lord wants to meet with us. There is a very rich and precious intimacy which can come when we are in the place of suffering, as we surrender to the Lord.

When we experience the Father’s love in the midst of suffering, and realise that He is not punishing us, we begin seeing our circumstances from a different perspective. ‘We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character, hope’ (Romans 5:3, ESV).

If you are walking through suffering, be encouraged today that there is a precious plan and a loving heavenly Father longing for a deeper relationship with you in that place.