Jesus said that we would all have trouble in this fallen world. So we
expect suffering to enter our lives, but when it does, we often try to
get through it as fast as possible rather than asking God what we can
learn from it.
If you choose to embrace your suffering rather
than running from it, your pain can turn to praise as God brings good
purposes out of the suffering he has allowed into your life.
Offer your suffering to God.
gift that God has allowed to come to you so you will seek Him more and
experience His grace in deeper ways. Keep in mind that the same thing
that evil forces may intend to destroy you can become what leads you to
experience more of God’s blessings in your life. What will determine
whether your suffering leads to negative or positive results in your
life is how you respond to it. Decide that you will respond to any type
of suffering – from illness, grief, broken relationships, financial
problems, depression, etc. – by surrendering it to God in prayer, asking
Him to use it for good in your life and trusting Him to do so.
Invite Jesus to help you through life’s storms.
Earth, so He knows what you’re going through. Jesus chose to go through
extreme suffering on the cross to pay for people’s sins, so He cares
about what you’re going through. Realize that while you’re dealing with
the storms of suffering, Jesus is available to go through them with you,
giving you the peace you need in the midst of the storms and guiding
you wisely through them. Connect with Jesus frequently through prayer as
you’re going through storms to gain the perspective and help you need.
Know that Jesus is praying for you.
prayed that before He died for your sins and before you were born.
Today, Jesus continues to pray for you in heaven. You can rest assured
that Jesus will take whatever weakness that you entrust to Him and
infuse it with His strength so you can grow through suffering.
Believe God to redeem your suffering.
that your personal story of suffering is part of the greater story of
how God is redeeming the world through Jesus. Give your lost causes,
hopeless situations, and broken dreams to God, and expect Him to redeem
them somehow, because He wants the best for you.
Embrace God’s kindness to you.
your sins. Feel free to come to Him just as you are. Expect Him to
warmly welcome you and give you all the grace you need to overcome the
suffering in your life.
Confess and repent of your sins to begin receiving healing from God.
of sin in your life, confess that sin in prayer to God, and turn away
from it completely. By doing so, you invite God to start healing you of
the damage that sin has caused in your life.
Be confident that your suffering won’t prevent God from accepting you or using your life.
sacrifice for you on the cross, and nothing that you suffer can ever
change that fact. Rejoice that, not only will your suffering not
disqualify you from serving God, but the specific ways in which you’ve
suffered can actually become the greatest ways in which God can use your
life to help redeem the world. When you suffer in a certain area of
your life, you develop compassion for other people who are also
suffering in that area (for example, you can care more about cancer
patients after you’ve overcome cancer yourself). If you respond to your
suffering by offering it to God to transform into something He will use
to bless others, you may find that your greatest ministry grows out of
your deepest suffering.
Trust God even when people betray you.
need to set boundaries with them to protect yourself until they earn
back your trust (if they ever do). But you can still live in faith, even
when people have betrayed you, because God is always trustworthy and
you can choose to trust God in any situation – even those involving
difficult people. Ask God to take what people intended for evil and use
it to accomplish something good in your life.
Overcome your regrets.
past, God is always willing to forgive you for your mistakes and help
you learn from them. Be honest with God about your regrets and ask Jesus
to help you move forward with the peace that only He can give.
Remember that God will complete the good work He has begun in you.
Healing from suffering is a process. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you be
patient throughout the healing process, however long it takes. Trust in
God’s promise to complete the healing work that He begins in you.
Live
in ways that will help other people seek God in their own suffering.
Ask God to empower you to live with integrity and love, so you’ll
inspire others to learn more about your faith.
[written by Whitney Hopler]
