After a recent string of painful events, including the loss of our dog, Dexter, suffering has been on my mind again. I often have to remind myself that nothing happens without God allowing it, and everything God allows is ultimately for His glory and our good (Romans 8:28). But I also need to remember that “good” doesn’t always equate to something happy, or even pleasant. Sometimes the road to that “good” thing is painful.
There are many reasons that God allows suffering (Romans 5:3-5; James 1:2-3), even though we may never know what those specific reasons are, this side of Heaven. But, generally, for Christians, suffering causes us to seek God, produces strength that we can rely on in the future, imparts wisdom that we can use to help others, and, most importantly, can aid in our sanctification–all good things.
We All Suffer
“The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs–heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” Romans 8:16-18 (ESV).
Suffering is hard. And, while we can’t know exactly why someone might be suffering, there is something we can know with absolute certainty: we all experience grief and pain at some point in our lives, and Christ, who suffered unimaginably for our sakes, completely understands, and He is with us through any and every trial we experience.
Frequently, suffering is just the result of living in a fallen world. But it could be for our protection. Or it might be that we need rebuke, correction, or just a reminder of who God is, and who we are in relation to Him, in order to refocus our attention from the world, and back to Christ. Suffering can be relatively minor, or a major worldwide event. But, regardless of the reason for, or the level of, our suffering, it can hurt. Badly.
God’s Sanctification Tumbler
Michelangelo once said of a statue he carved, “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.” He was an artistic visionary. Well, God sees even more. He sees us as we really are underneath our rough exterior, but He also knows our hearts and the potential that exists within us (1 Samuel 16:7). To expose and make use of that potential, He must set us free from our worldly distractions. And as painful as that can be, isn’t that what we, as Christians, should want, too?
As a kid, I used to play with a rock tumbler. Remember those? You put a bunch of rough, ugly rocks inside a barrel, add some grit and water, then turn it on and let it run for awhile. Inside, the rocks are bashing against each other, knocking off all the large imperfections, while the wet grit is grinding away at the smaller flaws. Some rocks take longer than others, but, eventually, you get beautifully polished stones.
That’s a bit how I envision sanctification through suffering. In our fallen state, humans are quite rough. As Christians, we are covered by the blood of Jesus–saved by his sacrificial love, but we are still far from perfect. No matter how much we love Jesus, the world is constantly pulling us in the opposite direction. Sometimes we don’t even realize it. And, besides that, on our own, we mess up…a lot! But, even when we feel that we are right where God wants us to be, there is always more to learn about Him and more that needs to change within our own hearts. And experience is a powerful lesson.
So, I imagine that God has His own tumbler, of sorts–a sanctification tumbler. He loves us, even when we are living like dense rocks, covered in a hard shell of worldly pursuits and foibles. But He also wants a deep relationship with us and He wants our lives to be fruitful for Him. But God is Holy, and we aren’t anywhere near a holy state. Therefore, we often need some of our rough edges knocked off. So, unbeknownst to us, in we go–into the tumbler barrel, along with some grit, a little water, and a few other “rocks” that need polishing, too. Then God flips the switch, and our relatively pleasant life suddenly gets tossed around and around, not randomly, as with a rock tumbler, but completely orchestrated and controlled by God, Himself.
Sometimes we feel ground down by the general “grit” of life, all the while crashing into other people who hurt and disappoint us. We might feel beaten, bruised, confused, sad, and even angry at the ostensibly inane unfairness of it all. But, when the barrel stops tumbling, and we come out, all shiny and polished, having shed layers of worldly pleasures, possessions, and self-control that we often deem essential, could it be that we are closer to God than ever before? The “good” that God is working through our pain is sometimes simply our own sanctification.
It’s Not a One-and-Done Process
In a more perfect world, one good round in the sanctification tumbler could sustain us throughout our entire life. Bad news: this is not a perfect world. Good news: there is a perfect world ahead in Heaven, and as Christians, we are destined for it! But, in the meantime, throughout our lives we are continually building a worldly crust around us which is a barrier to our Lord and His purposes. So the sanctification tumbler keeps turning. But, when we are in it, if we try to focus more on God and His will, rather than on our own circumstances, we can build endurance. Then, even when the uncomfortable, or sometimes excruciating, events come along, we can learn to recognize, accept, and appreciate the fact that God loves us enough to scrape away those crusty edges so that we can live the life He created us to live–the life that eventually leads to the ultimate blessing of peace and joy with Him, forever.
Good article!!! So true! Suffering causes us to seek God. Contemplating on His wonderful attributes lifts us above developing bitterness. Dying to ourselves and bowing at His feet deepens the loving relationship we have with Him.
Yes! And our relationship with God is paramount!