Suffering Triumphantly?
Suffering Triumphantly?
But the God of all grace, who has called us to his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that you have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you. - 1 Peter 5:10
Suffering means to undergo; experience or go through pain, anguish, distress, torment, agony, affliction or misery.
Is this good or bad?
Good suffering is in line with God’s plan for our lives and works out God’s eternal purpose in our lives, family, career and destiny. Examples are Job, Jesus, Paul, Daniel, Joseph (Matthew 16:21, Acts 9:16, Romans 8:17-18). You are not to be ashamed of good suffering (2 Timothy 1:12).
Bad suffering is not in line with God’s plan for our lives. This happens when we suffer when we act as a child of the devil, rule breaker; or from the devil’s affliction. Examples are those who suffered from wrong jail convictions based on wrong DNA evidence; and the execution of Troy Davis (may be).
If you suffer, however, it must not be for murder, stealing, making trouble, or prying into other people's affairs. - 1 Peter 4:15
We need to cry out to God to deliver us from bad suffering – Psalm 16:10-11
Our suffering is for a little while – 2 Corinthians 4:17
How do we cope with suffering? – Rejoice in hope: The Bible states in Romans 12:12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; and in 2 Corinthians 4:18:
So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.
Prayer
- Give thanks.
- Father: sustain me, don’t let me suffer needlessly.
The Bible states in 1 Corinthians 10:13:
You have been put to no test but such as is common to man: and God is true, who will not let any test come on you which you are not able to undergo; but he will make with the test a way out of it, so that you may be able to go through it.
- Father, don’t allow any allowed suffering overwhelm me in line with your word. Let is work for my good, make me perfect like Jesus in Hebrews 5:8-9
- Father, deliver me from every evil suffering, I scatter and shatter every work of the enemy, in my life, family, work, career and destiny in the mighty name of Jesus.
- And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me to his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. (2 Timothy 4:18)