The suffering

Many of us have a wrong idea about life with Christ. You may think that accepting Jesus Christ into your life is a way for you to have all your prayers and grievances answered. You think that with Him, everything in your life will surely succeed because He is God. But let me tell you, if you follow God for what He can offer you, you will lose faith very soon.

When you hear the term “Suffering” you may wonder “why?” Why as children of God would we suffer? If suffering is part of the life of the Christian, it is simply because the world is not his kingdom. We are on this earth as missionaries. Throughout our journey we will meet men and women who will be against us, who will try to fight us, just as they fought our Lord Jesus. Before leaving, Jesus Christ told His disciples that they will be persecuted and even killed because of His name. The suffering I am talking to you about here is therefore not linked to the hazards of life, but it is particularly linked to your faith, your calling, your ministry.

It is important to understand that accepting Jesus Christ into one's life is not just about words spoken, but rather about a genuine desire to follow and serve God no matter what. When we make this choice, we declare war on Satan. He will then try to make us abandon our faith by any means necessary. Times of trial and suffering allow us to show the enemy how unshakeable our faith in God is. Indeed, it is very easy to serve God when everything is going well. This is why true love will always be tested.

In my article (The Price to Pay) I asked you a question. I asked you why do you follow Christ. I don't know if you've actually taken the time to answer it, but know that the answer to this question will demonstrate how you will live out your faith. I remember a former classmate who once told me that she had lost her faith. Puzzled, I asked her why? She replied that she had asked God for something that He hadn't fulfilled. I then said to her, "Would you be happy if one of your friends rejected you because of something you hadn't given her?" And to this question, she had no answer. If you serve God only for His blessings, then you are no different from a freeloader, and therefore when your interests are no longer there, you will leave.

2 Timothy 3:11 “You saw what persecutions and sufferings I endured at Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. For what persecutions I suffered! And the Lord delivered me from them every time.”

The problem with our generation is that we want to live a classy, good-natured Christian life. The Christian life has realities that we cannot simply set aside when it displeases us. Sufferings are one of these realities. They are there to test our endurance and consistency. The disciples were even glad to have been counted worthy to share in Christ's sufferings (1 Peter 4:13). However, sufferings are not eternal; the Lord will always deliver us from them, as He did with Paul, and we should not fear them.

Revelation 2:10 “Do not be afraid of the sufferings that await you. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison to tempt you, and you will have ten days of tribulation. Be faithful until death, and I will crown you with life.”

Suffering demonstrates our faithfulness to God; it allows us to prove to the world that we have truly chosen Christ. My goal in this article is not to scare you, far from it. I just want you to realize that the Christian life is not a beautiful and rosy journey. You can be like Job today, full of riches, but then you find yourself losing not only your riches but also your children and your health. Will you deny God or will you praise Him? You can be like Joseph, with many dreams, but tomorrow you find yourself sold and imprisoned for something you didn't even do. Will you lose faith or will you persevere? Know that: whether it's Job or Joseph, God will always end up justifying those who are faithful to Him to the end. Today I want you to ask yourself this question: "Am I ready to endure everything for and with Christ?" I'm not saying it will be easy, but I pray that your heart will remain willing (Psalm 51:12) and that the Lord will strengthen you if you are going through a trial or difficult time right now. He is faithful and just to crown you with glory.