Suffering is inevitable, misery is optional, perspective is critical

SIBKL/Pastor Chew Weng Chee/ 19/5/12

God is our anchor, our reference point in life. Carly Fiorina was once one of the most powerful women in the world, when she led Hewlett Packard as CEO from 1999 to 2005. When Bill Hybels asked her the secret to her success, she said that it was the power of asking the right question. It is so important for us to know what is the right question and when to ask the right question. It is not answers that carry us through in life but asking the right questions. When I go through a difficult period, how should I respond? React is different from respond. When confronted with a problem, don’t react, respond!

Responding speaks of an inner posture leading to a long term favorable result. Today’s text is from 1 Corinthians 1:1-11. In verse 1, Paul starts off his letter by emphasizing his mantle as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God. The Corinthian church had been questioning his mantleship as an apostle and Paul had to make it clear that he was firstly, an apostle of Jesus Christ and secondly, an apostle by the will of God.

Are there apostles in the world today? There are many people going round claiming to be apostles. They may call themselves Apostle Ah Kow or Apostle Ramasamy. The criteria for apostleship is recorded in 2 Corinthians 11 where we see Paul’s tremendous sufferings. My stand is that I believe in the apostolic ministry but not the apostolic title. The apostolic title tends to be abused and is used to put one on a pedestal, self-exalting. Just as we can be prophetic without being a prophet, we can be apostolic without being an apostle.

In verses 3-11, there are 5 responses that we can learn about how to respond in trying times. Our 1^st response is that we have to understand that pain and problems are inevitable, and even part of a life of ministry for the Lord. Rain falls on the good, the bad and the ugly, on everyone one earth, Christian or Non-Christian. The notion that once a person becomes a Christian, there are no more problems is rubbish. People get sick. Even the healing evangelist gets sick. Pain is inevitable. We live in a fallen world with disease, suffering and death. Only 2 people in the Bible didn’t die, Enoch and Elijah. We can’t understand why an 8-year old girl died or a 17 year old got leukemia. Suffering is part and parcel of a sinful world.

In verse 7, Paul writes “And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.” In Asia, Paul had suffered great heartache and pressure but he accepted it as part of life. The Corinthian church also suffered. Pain is inevitable but misery is optional and perspective is critical. Don’t stay miserable. This is the first critical posture!

Our 2^nd response is to understand that God will never leave you nor forsake you no matter what happens. When you go through that pain, God is still there. In the passage today, the word “comfort” occurs 9 times. “Parakletos” was given as a name of the Holy Spirit, meaning Comforter. It is telling us God is journeying beside us.

In verse 3, Paul describes God as the God of all comfort, meaning the God of all mercies. Why is it mercies is plural? Why did Paul not say the Father of love or grace? The meaning here is not quantitative mercies but qualitative mercies. It means God is awesomely merciful – the most merciful of the merciful. When God identifies Himself as merciful, it is telling us, it could have been much worse. In John 8:44, Satan is described as the father and source of lies. In contrast, our God is the Father, the source, of all comfort. When in doubt, we need to go back to the source. 

God will only give us what we can handle and what is good for us. In the poem Footprints in the Sand, it gives us a picture of how God carries us through difficult days when there is only one pair of footprints left in the sand. It could have been much worse if of did not spare us. At the home of a leader, his 4 children shared with me one by one how each recently faced great disappointment or endured painful suffering.  All said that it could have been much worse, but thanked God that He was there. My brother-in-law was taking some non-Christians up to Genting for an Alpha weekend camp, when his car capsized. His hand was so badly hurt, even fragments of bone had come out. In spite of this, he thanked God, citing no head or internal injuries. Shortly, all the non-Christians in his car became Christians, amazed at his attitude.

Our 3^rd response is to understand that God has a purpose behind it all. Suffering helps us learn patient endurance. The Greek Word for perseverance is hupomone, giving the picture of a plant being able to thrive in a harsh environment. It carries with the idea of steadfastness. Suffering builds character and builds steel. Resilience means not giving up, not caving in and not blaming others. God wants to forge something deep in our lives.  Romans 8:28 says “Furthermore, we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called in accordance with his purpose”.

Our 4^th response or 4^th posture is to understand that pain, trials and tribulation are part of God’s perfect will for your life. In 2 Corinthians 1:8, Paul says “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself..” Paul went through all of this. Yet, he was in God’s perfect will in Asia. He was in God’s perfect will serving God and almost died. He never questioned because he saw it as part of God’s perfect will. Does God want to do something deep in your life? We have been tutored by the world to see that when there is pleasure, God is there while when there is pain, God is not there. The truth is God is always there, pleasure or pain. Paul chose to be there in Asia. He chose God’s will in spite of the suffering.

We need to ask ourselves – Is Jesus still the centre of my life when I go through hardship? Then only can we emerge unscathed, stronger and better from trying times.

Our 5^th and final response is “Just Trust God”. God knows what He is doing. In verse 8-11, Paul says “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.” He has delivered us. He will deliver us. He will continue to deliver us. Paul is saying “I don’t understand, Lord, but I still trust You!”. Don’t go back to our base instincts and blame God and others and become miserable. Instead, trust God who raises the dead!