The Christian life is not an easy one. Coming to faith in Jesus brings the joyful Hope of eternal Life, but the Christian must still live in a broken and dark world filled with the consequences of sin. Jesus never promised His disciples a rose garden. Instead He warned them of the opposite: “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33).
Jesus also said that “the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to Life, and those who find it are few.” (Matthew 7:14) The way leading to eternal Life is a hard way, pressing in on both sides. It is the way leading to destruction that the Lord describes as broad and easy. He also said that He came not to bring peace but a sword that even divides families, son from father, daughter from mother, such that “a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.” (Matthew 10:34) Exclusive allegiance to Jesus will bring the suffering of broken relationships.
The Christian life suffers for Christ and because of Christ, but the Apostle Peter says we should not be shocked to find ourselves insulted, mocked and even persecuted. Instead we must entrust ourselves to God in our suffering, knowing that our suffering is in accordance with His will and purpose for us.
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted for the Name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. …16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. …19 Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good. (1 Peter 4:12-19).
The Apostle Paul, one of the greatest servants of Christ in the early Church, had a terrible life of suffering: Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. 24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. (2 Corinthians 11:23-28) And yet, suffering for Christ in these many ways, Paul could still say, “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.” (Philippians 3:8) Jesus is worth all of the suffering.
At one point in Paul’s life, he recounts how a thorn in the flesh was given to him by the Lord Jesus:
Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this [thorn in my flesh], that it should leave me. 9 But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness. "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:8-10) We don’t know exactly what Paul’s “thorn” was, but it caused him such great suffering that he begged the Lord to take it from him multiple times. But Jesus does not remove the thorn–He leaves it in place, telling Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you.” By this answer, the Lord is saying that Paul will find enough strength to endure his suffering as he rests in dependence upon the grace of Christ. The Lord has a purpose in the suffering of His people… it is so that His power is made perfect in our weakness. That means that Jesus’ power and greatness is magnified and glorified as His people cling to Him for His power in their suffering. In this, Paul found contentment in the midst of His weakness and sufferings.
We are allowed to beg God to remove suffering from us, to deliver us from hardship; this King David did many times in the Psalms. And God may choose to answer that prayer and bring that deliverance. But God may also use that suffering to mould and shape us in holiness and dependence upon Him as we look beyond this life to the transcendent joy of the Life to come.
The Apostle Paul calls all our sufferings in this life “light and momentary troubles” in comparison with what is to come: For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. (2 Corinthians 4:17).
In the Gospel of Matthew, Peter was able to walk on water toward his Lord until he began to notice the wind and the waves around him–that’s when he began to sink. As we keep our eyes fixed upon our Lord and Saviour, we will make it through the wind-tossed waves of this life.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the Throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2).
The hymn When We All Get to Heaven includes this line: “Just one glimpse of Him in glory will the toils of life repay.” One peek of the glorious Christ in His heavenly majesty will make every pain, every suffering, every hardship, every tribulation worth it all. The joy of seeing His face will instantly eclipse every sorrowful memory. This is how the Christian takes heart, knowing that Christ has overcome the world.