On Suffering.

Philippians 3:8-11

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 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

* I have had the conversation with multiple people on multiple occasions that Christians in the United States don’t know what it is to suffer. By all means I would say that we do not know the suffering that comes from a hostile government, the persecution, the being thrown into jail or solitary confinement boxes, etc. No, we do not know that. We do not experience that here in the States. That I am writing this blog is evidence enough that we don’t have that kind of persecution.

The above said conversations have also, at some times, produced comments that United States Christians need to know suffering more. While I have heard arguments from both sides of the aisle, I believe there is truth that some type of suffering would definitely sift out who the true Christians are. Those who are merely pew-warmers will have no hard time in giving up the guise if they have the choice to stay seated in that church or to be shot. In that case, suffering and persecution could definitely be beneficial. The posers would drop the act.

But this passage makes me want to ask the question: What kind of suffering do we need, and how should it be inflicted upon us?

Paul is speaking in this passage saying in comparison to knowing Christ, everything is just crap. No entrapments of this world hold a candle to how fabulous it is to be in relationship to Christ. He even goes so far as to say that if being found in him takes sharing in his sufferings, then bring it on. Whatever it takes.

The next line, though, is where I think the ball usually gets dropped. Have you ever been in a discussion with someone about this topic of suffering and the other person gets all angry at Christians who live in America, the “non-sufferers”, and pretty much thinks we all should move to some far-off country or wherever just so we CAN be thrown in a box, so we can… “Become more like Christ.”

Am I overstepping my bounds to go so far as to say that Christ never required Christians to live in nations with hostile governments? When it comes to suffering, metal boxes are nowhere described in the Bible as the prime conductor.

The line in this verse that gets me is this: “And may share in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death…”

Let me ask the question, what did Jesus do on that cross? What was he suffering for in his death?

Was he suffering for the sake of suffering? Was the act of suffering what made him the Messiah?

Negative.

He was suffering to reconcile a people to God.

It just so happened that he was being killed while doing that.

I don’t want Christians to think that there is a pure correlation between physical suffering and reconciling people to God; one can suffer for fruitless causes.

Some time ago I had the opportunity to see the heart of a father who is deeply distressed over a “prodigal son.” There is nothing this father would not do for the son to be brought back in. If there was a choice between the son coming back to the family and to the faith, or giving up his life, I know he would opt to lose his life.

Because that’s what parents do if they have to.

That’s what love does.

That’s what God did.

If someone was to tell me that what that father was feeling is less suffering than being shipped to some arctic circle work camp “for Christ” just because that father still has a roof over their head, money in the bank, and food on the table, call me rash but I would have an urge to give that person a strong piece of my mind. How can you say that there is less suffering a parent feels for a wayward child, or the suffering one feels for someone who is lost that they have been praying for for 30 years, than in the suffering that comes while being imprisoned? Suffering is suffering. If a person has angst over the lost, whether in a nation with a hostile government or not, THAT is what it means to suffer like Christ. THAT is the suffering Christians are called to.

Can I even go so far as to say that those who are persecuted in other countries are probably not feeling the ache because they are in jail, they are probably feeling the ache because they cannot be out on the streets sharing Jesus with people. Which, by the way, is WHY they are in jail in the first place.

Now, I know I just pushed all kinds of buttons.

But I don’t want to apologize.

I want to provoke you all to thought.

Has suffering become an end in itself of what people want true Christianity to look like? I hope not, because suffering for suffering’s sake won’t take anybody to Heaven with you. Suffering for their soul to know Jesus, to know the love of God, to know relationship with him, that’s what Jesus did. That is what we are called to do.

Whether it involves metal boxes or not.

Do you want to share in the sufferings of Christ? Then suffer through prayer and ministry for the salvation of your lost family, friends, co-workers. And suffer for those in hostile governments who just want to be back out on the streets, sharing Jesus; and pray that, like Paul, “it would become evident to the entire palace guard…that their (my) imprisonment is for Christ.” (Phil. 1:13).