Do we find it hard to suffer? It is one of life’s great truths that we will encounter suffering in this valley of tears, and when we do, how do we handle it?
All too often we greet suffering with feelings of dread and despair. We abhor the thought of sacrificing our own personal wants and desires, so we mope around as miserable men.
But it doesn’t have to be this way!
Opportunities to suffer are a gift from God. Yes, that same God Who does not allow a hair to fall from our heads without His permission also specially ordains our sufferings. He has a very definite purpose in mind when He sends us trials. Do we satisfy that purpose, or do we waste a God-given opportunity?
If we want to take advantage of these gifts from God, we have to learn to suffer. How? Rather than focusing on the aspects of the suffering itself, let us turn our attention instead to the motivation for suffering.
Love.
We must suffer out of love for God. When we do this, all becomes as nothing. Indeed our yoke becomes sweet and our burden light. Every parent should understand this concept, as every good mother or father would willingly suffer anything for the good of their child. In fact, good parents even go so far as to seek out opportunities to suffer and sacrifice for their children in order to prove their love.
God is no different. Let’s focus on loving Him, and cheerful and beneficial suffering will naturally follow as the only logical outcome.
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