suf·fer·ing
ˈsəf(ə)riNG/
noun
"The state of undergoing pain, distress, or hardship"
THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO LOOK AT SUFFERING. SOME MAY LOOK AT IT IN A SENSE OF THE "WIKIPEDIA" DEFINITION I HAVE UP THERE. YES, THERE'S PAIN & HARDSHIP, BUT THERE CAN ALSO BE JOY & BLESSINGS.
JAMES SAYS IN VV. 1-4, "COUNT IT ALL JOY, MY BROTHERS, WHEN YOU MEET TRIALS OF VARIOUS KINDS, FOR YOU KNOW THAT THE TESTING OF YOUR FAITH PRODUCES STEADFASTNESS. & LET STEADFASTNESS HAVE ITS FULL EFFECT, THAT YOU MAY BE PERFECT & COMPLETE, LACKING IN NOTHING."
COUNT IT ALL JOY? GOD SAYS TO COUNT IT ALL JOY WHEN YOU ARE IN A TRIAL. CRAZY, HUH? HE SAYS THAT BECAUSE HE HAS A PURPOSE FOR THAT PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCE OR TRIAL YOU ARE IN. IT EVEN SAYS IN V. 4 THAT OUR PERSEVERANCE IN OUR SUFFERING WILL CAUSE US TO BE "PEFECT," "COMPLETE," & LACKING IN NOTHING." THIS IS HOW WE SHOULD LOOK AT SUFFERING. BUT, OF COURSE WE'RE ALL HUMAN & FALL SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD. THIS IS WHY WE THINK ITS CRAZY.
NOW, THE NEXT SECTION OF THIS BLOG WILL BE GETTING INTO SOME OF MY PERSONAL SUFFERINGS. I DO NOT PUT THEM ON HERE TO BRAG ABOUT HOW I'VE SUFFERED MORE THAN YOU, OR TO BOAST. I PUT THESE ON HERE SO THAT I CAN BE A LIGHT FOR CHRIST THROUGH MY SUFFERINGS, & HOPING GOD WILL USE THEM TO HELP SOMEBODY THROUGH THEIR STRUGGLES.
When I was 13 & a half years old I got caught up in a very unhealthy relationship with a guy that was 8 years older than me. You can do the math on that one. It lasted about 8 or 9 months. During that time, it got sexual very quickly. He was the first guy I had ever "fallen" in love with, but love was very manipulated for me in that situation. In the book of 1 John it says in v. 4, "We love because he first loved us." We cannot emotionally or physically love someone the right way, without Christ's love. I knew what we were doing was wrong & not how God intended it to be, but somehow I felt trapped, like there was noway out. Girls, or anyone for that matter. Do not feel like you are trapped in any kind of situation. Make God your strength when you are week. Lean on Him. There is always a way out through Christ. But, instead of leaning on Christ for my strength, I leaned on worldly things. So, just like Numbers 32:23 says, "your sin will find you out." God will expose the darkness & make it come in the light.
Yup, you guessed it. That is exactly what happened. We got caught, he got arrested, & I was left feeling hopeless; depressed; angry; basically anything you can name that is negative.
That was 3 years ago. I write this now telling you that there is hope. There is a way out. Only through Christ. Keep your mind on Him, trust Him, & He will show you the way.
"Sometimes suffering is just the way God intended to bring hope into the world"-John Boss