“Rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ” (1 Peter 4:13).
ONE WAY TO LOOK AT SUFFERING
There are all sorts of trials we go through in our lifetimes, the temptation is to give in to despair and hopelessness. Christians, however, are never without hope. There is a reason behind the trials that we go through; and though we may not always understand the reason, we know that hope in God will be sufficient for us while we are in the cloud.
One way of looking at suffering and pain is that in some small way we partake in the suffering of Christ. For the Lord Jesus did not have to come and be born into humanity, but his love for us is shown in the fact that he did come among us, and came among us as a servant. So we ought also to serve the Lord with all that we go through. If we are in pain, then we can see a little of what Christ went through on our behalf.
In some small way Peter explains that our trials allow us to participate in the sufferings of Christ. For we cannot expect to always live in the lap of luxury, what kind of lessons do we learn from that? A spoiled child will have a shock to his system as he grows up, and have many lessons to learn in adulthood. And in that sense we pity the child who is handled with kid gloves and allowed to run amok in an undisciplined way by parents who care little for the long-term effects of such an upbringing.
“Those who spare the rod of discipline hate their children. Those who love their children care enough to discipline them” (Prov 13:24). We don’t use rods these days, but we still understand that discipline of various sorts is important.
Our loving heavenly Father loves us enough to discipline us, and not only discipline us but he is pleased to reveal deep truths to us. When we are in trials and pain, we see a little of the agony that Jesus bore on our behalf—we see a little of the beauty of Jesus.
“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you” (1 Pet 4:12).
So we thank God that every experience we go through allows us to see Jesus in some way and let his beauty be seen in us.
“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” (Rom 12:12).