The Power of the Cross

Suffering and Snowflakes

We live in a culture that above all things fears and hates suffering. If something is unpleasant, it must be wrong. If your job is difficult, you should find another one that ‘feels’ right. If your marriage is difficult, you should divorce; clearly, they weren’t ‘the one.’ If sexual restraint is difficult, that’s because it’s an unjust fetter of society; you should give in. If your gender is difficult, you should change it. If something is uncomfortable, society’s answer is stop! Quit! Get out of there!

At the same time, people complain that we live in a culture of ‘snowflakes,’ people who can’t take the pressure. The truth is, they could take as much as anyone else if they tried. But we’ve taught them that as long as they make a speech about compassion and wellbeing to justify their decision, they can get out of doing anything they don’t like. And that’s exactly what they do. Today’s generation hasn’t forgotten the self-gratifying mood of the 60s; we’ve perfected it.

This has been on my mind a great deal lately, because I’ve just emerged from a very difficult season in my own life. There were months where I cried every day, months where I woke up every morning and hated the thought of getting up, times where I came home in shell-shock and just sat and stared at the wall. But I’m on the other side of that now, and I’m so very, very glad I stayed the course, because I’ve learned and grown more than I thought possible.

Given that experience, and the conversations I’ve had with other people about hardship, I wanted to write this post to establish a key point about suffering: suffering and God’s will are not mutually exclusive.* I say again,

Suffering and God’s will are not mutually exclusive.

1 Peter 4:19 tells us, “Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.” Did you catch that? Their suffering was according to God’s will.

And we’re not just talking here about the kind of discomfort that comes with stepping out of your comfort zone, or looking awkward, or having to stay up late to get work done. The word for suffering here is the same word used for Christ’s suffering on the cross. By no stretch of the word could Christ’s death have been considered mentally, physically, or emotionally healthy. That did not make it not God’s will.

Do you grasp the level of intensity here? We are not talking about slight discomfort; we are not even talking about recoverable discomfort. We are talking about levels of suffering that will scar for life, wounds that will never fully heal this side of heaven. When God wrestled with Jacob, he threw his hip out of joint for the rest of his life. Not an afternoon. Not a few months. The rest of his life. Why? Because it reminded him that he needed God – His power is made perfect in weakness. God isn’t afraid to use suffering to put us where he wants us.

So where, exactly, does he want us?

When His Glory is Revealed

A few paragraphs earlier, Peter explains. “Do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice as insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.”

Did you catch that? Suffering is to be expected, because although we have a God who could keep you trouble-free, God’s goal is not your happiness – not your present happiness, and not your future happiness. As a matter of fact, this isn’t about you at all. God is not here to make you happy. He is here to make his name glorious. And when you accept that, when you learn to rejoice in God’s glory and not your own pleasure, you’ll end up much happier. But that’s a post in itself. For now, consider:

What if, as the nails entered his wrists, Jesus had said, “You know, this doesn’t seem good for my physical, mental, or emotional health. Never mind; it must not be God’s will for me,” and hopped down from the cross? What if Paul had said, “You know, this missionary gig has taken a heavy toll on my body, not to mention the intense mental strain. It must not be God’s will for me.” What if Timothy had said, “You know, I can’t spend so much time at church. It’s not healthy to work more than 40 hours a week, particularly in such a hostile work environment.” They had more reason than us to quit. What if they had? Where would we be today?

The power of the cross is the power of correctly oriented suffering. Suffering in God’s hands becomes strength. Death becomes life. Pain becomes glory. But only if we accept the cup. The suffering will come. There’s no way around it. We must decide now what our reaction will be. Will we run away from it blindly, allowing Satan to drive us like animals under a whip? Or will we choose to stand our ground, to “entrust our souls to a faithful Creator while doing good” and allow God to turn suffering into strength?

*As a disclaimer, I do not mean that we should seek out suffering or endure it unnecessarily. My point is rather that sometimes it is, in fact, necessary, and we will be stronger if we accept that fact.

olsen art vegreville-4″ by luckylynda74 is licensed under CC BY 2.0