Obedience Through Suffering

Who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, 8 though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. Hebrews 5:7-8

In our modern church culture, the idea of suffering is so foreign to us. The internet is full of ways to live in victory, overcoming in spiritual warfare, and motivational teaching that encourages us. Not so much on suffering. We don't want to even think about it. We have a big problem with suffering. We feel that somehow God is against us or doesn't like us when we go through things. We feel persecuted, downcast, and depressed when things don't go our way. We have a false sense of control as if we have a say in the matters of life. When things don't go the way we think it should, it shakes us to the very core of our being. We often accuse God of being unloving and uncaring. Jesus did not promise us a carefree life. "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 This word tribulation means trouble, anguish, suffering, sadness, heartache, and woe. Jesus said we are going to go through stuff. We are somehow shocked when it happens though. We even get mad about it. 

I recently heard a brother challenge me to ask God how to partner with him in the situation I'm in. What is God teaching me? How am I going to obey Him in what I'm going through? Hebrews says "though he was a son..." Why do we call into question our sonship when we suffer when it's part of normal life? Jesus told us we can be cheerful in every situation. Joy is not a byproduct of circumstance. It is a fruit of or manifestation of the Holy Spirit living in us. He didn't go anywhere. Peace is a byproduct of God's ever abounding love manifesting within our lives when we put our trust in Him! Jesus learned obedience through the things he suffered?! I scratch my head when I read this too. You mean suffering can be a byproduct of obedience?! You mean that if I obey God that it may produce heartache? You mean I won't always be blessed? Whoa! It says that he cried out in vehement cries. Jesus was suffering the agony of laying his life down. He knew that rejection, ridicule, pain, the punishment of our sins, betrayal of the church, and abandonment of friends awaited him. In His obedience and suffering, He overcame. We can overcome too. This is only true if we are willing to suffer through the decision to take up our cross and follow him; no matter who is with us. We may have to die on our cross alone, feeling forsaken by all and even feeling like God has turned His face from us. We can't depend on others to pull us through. We must depend on God! Sadly, many will even accuse us of being in some kind of sin if we are going through it. Which isn't necessarily true. These accusations arise because for the most part, the church doesn't believe in suffering. 

As a whole, our society is bent on not suffering. If we ever lived in a society that lives in a place of escapism it is now. The drug culture exists solely on escaping pain. We fear PAIN! We do everything to avoid it instead of embracing it as part of life. It takes courage to suffer and face pain. Can you imagine Jesus stopping in his tracks while carrying his cross and saying, "I'm not doing this! It's too painful! Why should I lay my life down for people who would rather see me dead? The people in the church don't even like me. They think I'm a freak. I'm going back to being a carpenter because ministry is full of people who don't appreciate me." It sounds ridiculous, doesn't it? However, every day someone walks away from their cross, their calling, and their family. I like what a friend recently said to me, "Let it burn!" He was referring to pain. If it hurts just let it burn. Amen. So be it Jesus. Your grace is sufficient.

Facing life with courage,

Jaziz Gutierrez