Suffering for sufferings sake?

Suffering: The positive side . . .

Philippians 3: 10-11 . . ."I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead."

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Grin and bear it? Think again!

Most Christians I know, particularly Pentecostal Christians feel very comfortable with Paul’s assertion that he wants to know Christ and the power of His resurrection; yet, the average Christians balks at wanting to participate in Christ’s sufferings. Suffering for the sake of Christ is not what they signed up for; and so it is easy for most to just slide past that bit about suffering and sacrifice and move on to the next power surge. The next revival. The next miracle. The next celebration. Where ever the power is, you can look for them there. That’s for sure.

Perhaps one of these days I will muster up enough courage to write a book on suffering. Now, there is where the real power is—that is, in suffering.

I say this primarily for one good reason, and that is that I have yet to meet a saint that hasn’t suffered. Think about it. Have you?

Oh, don’t get me wrong, you don’t have to go looking for a chance to suffer, sooner or later suffering will find you. It will come. Perhaps with a painful divorce, or the sudden unexpected death of a child or a spouse. It will come. Now, the question is—not just for you, but for me and everyone else as well—what will our reaction be? The Bible makes it crystal clear that Jesus did not lose his life. Jesus willingly laid down his life; and I would suggest that this is a lesson for us. That is, to embrace suffering.

Jesus says in John 10:17ff:

“For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.”

In other words, His suffering was not without purpose. So, for that reason alone He suffered. There was no other way around it. Suffering was a must for Him. He embraced it.

Now, on a different plane and on a different level, we, too, often times must go through tough times which we can either accept and turn into an advantage for the good, or in the worst case scenarios for the bad.

Think about it this way, is it not true that we are part of His mystical body? If that be the case, then we, too, can use our suffering for the good of the body.

Please understand, however, that I am not advocating suffering for suffering’s sake. There is no value in that. What I am saying, however, is that when we suffer it need not be for nothing. Once again, we must take Romans 8:28-29 to heart to make our hardships work for us. For—

We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.  For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. (Rom. 8:28-29 NIV)

So, the next time suffering comes your way, embrace it as an opportunity for God to conform you into the image of His dear Son, who in His deepest hour of suffering set the example for us. Paul reminds us that —

If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together (1 Corinthians 12:26 ESV).

Now, if that is the case—and I believe it is—what better way may we comfort those that suffer than by sharing the consolation of our suffering with them.

How so, you say? May I suggest that you start with love—the example of His love, so that when you suffer loss you use that as a teachable moment to comfort others in their loss.

Let’s just consider the First Ronald McDonald House, as an example—

It all began in Philadelphia in 1974 when 3-year-old Kim Hill, the daughter of Philadelphia Eagles football player Fred Hill and his wife, Fran, was being treated for leukemia at St. Christopher's Hospital For Children.

During Kim's three years of treatment, the Hills often camped out on hospital chairs and benches and ate makeshift meals out of vending machines, while they watched other parents doing the same thing. They learned that many of the families traveled great distances to bring their children to the medical facility but couldn't afford hotel rooms.

The Hills knew that there had to be a solution. Fred rallied the support of his Eagles teammates to raise funds. Through Jim Murray, the Eagles' general manager, the team offered its support to Dr. Audrey Evans, head of the pediatric oncology unit at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Dr. Evans dreamed of a comfortable temporary residence for families of children being treated at her hospital.

Murray enlisted Don Tuckerman from the local McDonald's advertising agency, who with the support of McDonald's Regional Manager Ed Rensi, launched the St. Patrick's Day Green Milkshake (now known as the Shamrock Shake) promotion. Funds raised went toward purchasing an old house located near the hospital.

And thus, the first Ronald McDonald House came to be in Philadelphia in 1974 - a "home away from home" for families of ill children. By 1979, 10 more Houses opened. By 1984, local communities founded 60 more Houses (including our House in Albany); then 53 more opened by 1989. Today, more than 250 Ronald McDonald House programs in 26 countries support families around the world - providing comfort to more than 10 million families since 1974.

What a legacy! And, just to think, it was birthed in sorrow.

The journey is ours, together let's make the best of it!

JimR_/