Some questions to ponder:
* Is suffering part of God’s plan for the Christian, when it happens today?
..and..
* Is it ever God’s will that His beloved (in the world today - people just like US) should suffer?
I’d like to hear Bible-based thoughts on this (apart from my ideas). The reason being..
..A Christian brother in my age bracket who goes to a very different kind of church from either of mine..
(my churches being
- AM Sydney Anglican;
- PM interdenominational Chinese church with Presbyterian & Baptist roots)
..recently sent my sister [blood relative not just Christian sister] a message with the following ideas:
{When God doesn’t heal..?}
So what to do with the un-healed wounds? Well, do as Jesus did, “endure” it, rather than take “joy” in it.. knowing it is NOT His will for you..
He has answers for you.. and that either means striking out n perservering in the same prayer n not giving up.. perhaps that takes little change of environment, or different answers re: “renewing of your mind”..
..a theology which suggests that .. suffering is part of God’s plan is wrong..
..“Because Jesus ENDURED the Cross (Heb 12:2), He didn’t take pleasure in it (SO NEITHER SHOULD WE) - God is not a cosmic killjoy - it was the ONLY WAY.
..Suffering exists in the world, not because God desires it for us, but because it exists as a result of sin in the world from the Fall.
..God desires us not to suffer: if Hitler had been sent for our own good, then you have the Father’s will desiring for our destruction, and Jesus cleaning up and acting in the opposite way.. but Jesus is perfect theology - He is the exact representation of the Father and the Father’s will - and God is not a schizophrenic by all means - God is good, ALL the time..!!
To me it seems like my Christian brother is saying,
“God’s plan for us is NOT to suffer;
God’s will for us is NOT to suffer..”
I could be reading it wrong, & maybe also he worded this badly.. .. ..
IF, however, that is what he is saying, then my personal feeling - based on the calling of Paul the apostle as recorded in the book of ACTS - is that I disagree with such ideas.
~
Reasons for disagreeing with this notion
that suffering is NOT part of God’s plan for us:
Reason 1
In ACTS ch. 9 - verses 11 to 16 - Saul of Tarsus has been blinded while on the warpath against Jesus’ followers.
God directs Ananias to Saul, revealing to Ananias what He has got planned for Saul:
”This man is my chosen instrument
to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings
and before the people of Israel.
I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.””
(vv.15-16)
It seems rather obvious to me that God intended Saul/Paul to suffer, in his lifetime.
That it was, ahem, God’s will for Paul to suffer.
~
Reason 2
Gallop forward through Paul’s history to ACTS ch. 20 - verses 17 to 31 - where Paul has gathered the leaders of the Ephesians church.
He himself says:
”And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem,
not knowing what will happen to me there.
I only know that in every city
the Holy Spirit warns me
that prison and hardships are facing me.”
(vv.22-23)
What??
God the Spirit has warned Paul to EXPECT imprisonment?
And hardships too?
Sounds like suffering to me.
~
Reason 3
Peter, friend/follower/apostle of Christ, says in the 4th chapter of his first letter:
”So then, those who suffer according to God’s will
should commit themselves to their faithful Creator
and continue to do good.”
(v.19)
Actually, ALL of that section in 1 Peter 4 is good to read & think through..
~
So, do passages like these say,
“YES, it may be part of God’s plan for you to suffer”?
Am I wrong, if I dare to say that according to the words of Paul & Peter
- Jesus’ own apostles -
that in fact it may be God’s will (sometimes) that we suffer?
TZ.
P.S. I do not want to sound glib here.
I realise that there are people reading this who are suffering terribly right now - whether that be physical, emotional, mental or other suffering.
(I myself have suffered greatly on an emotional level in recent years.)
I realise that these ideas may come across as hurtful or offensive; sincere apologies in advance, as it is not my intention to hurt or offend.
And yet, I cannot deny that these ideas from Paul & Peter are Biblical.
The passages I’ve tried to quote are actually what the Bible says. I could be interpreting them wrongly, after all..