How Should Christians Experience Suffering?
We often encounter some hardships and unsatisfactory things in our lives, such as the pressure of debt, the pressures of life, the pain of unemployment, and the torment of illness. Some people are confused: God is love and He is almighty, so why does He allow us to suffer?
In fact, God clearly told us, “And it shall come to pass, that in all the land … two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on My name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is My people: and they shall say, Jehovah is my God” (Zechariah 13:8–9).
We can see from God’s words that there is God’s will in His allowing us to suffer, and it is entirely to purify and save us; it is a precious treasure bestowed upon us by God. Actually, only in hardships and refinement can we reveal our incorrect intentions and adulterations in their belief in God, and then we can recognize our own corruption, and be willing to accept God’s salvation. In this way, we can be cleansed by God and eventually become people who conform to God’s will. Then, in the face of suffering, how should we experience it to satisfy God?
God says, “When you face suffering, you must be able to lay aside concern for the flesh and to not make complaints against God. When God hides Himself from you, you must be able to have the faith to follow Him, to maintain your previous love without allowing it to falter or dissipate. No matter what God does, you must submit to His design and be prepared to curse your own flesh rather than make complaints against Him. When you are faced with trials, you must satisfy God, though you may weep bitterly or feel reluctant to part with some beloved object. Only this is true love and faith. No matter what your actual stature is, you must first possess both the will to suffer hardship and true faith, and you must also have the will to forsake the flesh. You should be willing to endure personal hardships and suffer losses to your personal interests in order to satisfy God’s will. You must also be capable of feeling regret about yourself in your heart: In the past, you were unable to satisfy God, and now, you can regret yourself. You must not be lacking in any of these regards — it is through these things that God will perfect you. If you cannot meet these criteria, then you cannot be perfected.”
God’s words point out the path of practice for us. When hardships and refinements befall us, we must rebel against the flesh and have faith in God. If we can accept and obey God’s work and seek God’s will and requirements of us, if we can forsake the flesh and practice the truth, prefer to suffer in the flesh and stand witness for God, and if we can experience these environments with love for God and a desire to satisfy Him, then we’ll be able to understand more truths through these trials, our corrupt dispositions can gradually be cleansed by God, and we can become people who are in accord with God’s will.
Should you want to know more about the truth about the meaning of experiencing hardships and refinement, please contact us on Messenger. We are online 24 hours a day to share more of God’s words with you, so that you can understand God’s will and know how to experience suffering.
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