The Benefit of Suffering
"It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn Your statutes. The law of Your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces." (Psalm 119:71-72)
As we enter the month of family, today I encountered a piece of news through CNN online that deeply disturbed my heart. A 34-year-old father, in a small town outside of Chicago, brutally murdered his 8-year-old daughter and her 9-year-old friend by stabbing each of them 20 and 11 times, respectively. The most horrific part of the story was that this man, a father, even stabbed his daughter's eyes. I couldn't help but feel rage as I thought, "Is this even human?" "Does this man even deserve to be called a father?"
To drive a car, one must obtain a driver's license. However, there is no such certification to become a father. There is no specific study or examination for it. Just recently, I read a news story about a mother who hit her daughter on the head and left her to die alone for two days in the living room. Eventually, they found the girl's body with her head severed. I recall this tragic news tonight as I question whether we, as parents, truly have the qualifications to be parents.
In Ephesians 5 and 6, the Bible teaches that we men, as husbands and fathers, are responsible for "nourishing" our wives and children. The word "nourish" in Greek has the meaning of "narrow," suggesting that as husbands and fathers, we must show our wives and children the narrow way that Jesus walked — the way of the cross. In other words, we are called to carry our own crosses and follow Jesus on the path of suffering. But we naturally have an instinct to avoid that path of suffering. We deliberately try to escape it. The reason for this is that we do not fully understand the benefits of suffering beyond its pain and hardship. Moreover, because we have not experienced the benefits of suffering, we are unable to walk through the trials with patience and faith.
Today, based on Psalm 119:65-72, I’ve reflected on the theme of "The Benefit of Suffering" and would like to share a few thoughts:
First, the benefit of suffering is that it awakens us to our wrongdoings.
Look at the first half of Psalm 119:67: "Before I was afflicted I went astray." Many times, we are unaware that we are straying from the path until we face suffering. Of course, there are instances when we deliberately choose the wrong path even though we know it is wrong. But more often, we become spiritually blind and deaf, failing to walk the narrow path of the cross that the Lord walked, and instead swaying to the left or right, stumbling along. In such times, suffering allowed by the Lord helps us wake up. It's like how a shepherd boy uses a stick to guide a sheep back to the right path when it's wandering down the wrong one. As our Shepherd, the Lord uses the rod of suffering to guide us back to the straight and narrow path. The prophet Isaiah said it this way: "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way..." (Isaiah 53:6). We are like foolish sheep, busy following our own paths, not the narrow way of the Lord. It is in such times that the suffering given to us awakens us to our wrongdoings.
Secondly, the benefit of suffering is that it helps us keep the Lord’s Word.
Look at the second half of Psalm 119:67: “… now I keep Your word.” Here we should reflect on six ways in which suffering helps us keep the Lord’s word:
(1) Suffering helps us believe in the Lord’s commandments.
Look at the first half of Psalm 119:66: “I believe in Your commandments…” For us, walking on the wrong path, suffering wakes us up to our wrongdoings, causing us to make a U-turn and believe that only the Lord’s commandments are the true way. Each day, we are choosing one of two paths: the narrow path of the Lord or the wide path of the world. In other words, we are constantly choosing either to follow the Lord’s commandments or to follow the words of Satan or the world. Suffering not only helps us realize our wrong choices but also, as a loving discipline, leads us to the right path—believing in the Lord’s way and walking according to His commandments.
(2) Suffering teaches us wisdom and understanding.
Look at the second half of Psalm 119:66: “… teach me good judgment and knowledge.” How many Christians today are walking the wrong path, losing good judgment, and walking in ignorance? The loss of spiritual discernment brings confusion, not conviction, and ultimately prevents us from walking consistently in the Lord’s commandments. Instead, it leads us to wander the confused paths of the world. But through suffering, the Lord rescues us from the pit of ignorance and loss of discernment. Ultimately, He gives us spiritual wisdom and knowledge of His will, helping us run toward His word.
(3) Suffering enables us to taste the goodness of the Lord.
Look at the first half of Psalm 119:68: “You are good, and do good…” The greatest benefit or blessing we receive from tasting the Lord’s goodness through suffering (Psalm 34:8) is that we experience the good God who works all things, including suffering, together for our good (Romans 8:28). Especially when we are at our lowest, in extreme pain and suffering, the glory of the good God shines even more brightly in our lives. This is why, even in the midst of the greatest suffering, we can praise, saying, “Good God, Good God, truly good is my God.”
(4) Suffering causes us to hate the lies of the arrogant.
Look at the first half of Psalm 119:69: “The arrogant have forged a lie against me…” Before we suffer, the lies of the arrogant sound so clear to us, and we often walk their false path. The lies of the arrogant of the world, such as false success, honor, and materialism, seem so truthful that we sometimes accept them as truth, choosing the wrong path. Are we not busy running down these false paths today? The false paths of success, honor, and materialism that the arrogant of the world show us… but after experiencing suffering, we begin to hate those paths. The reason is that through suffering, we have come to clearly know the true path—the Lord’s path. That path is the narrow way of the cross that the humble Jesus showed us in the Scriptures. And the end of that path is death. How different is that from the ultimate end of the world’s path? Do we feel any spiritual attraction to this? Do we, like Christ, feel spiritually drawn to the fact that the climax of our narrow way is death? Do we find any attraction in the thought of being martyred for the glory of God as sinners like us? It seems that such truths are not easy to accept. The arrogant cannot embrace or hold on to such truths. But through suffering, our Lord is planting this truth in our hearts. And in the process of planting it, He uses suffering to make us hate the lies of the arrogant.
(5) Suffering removes the "fat" from the heart.
Look at the first half of Psalm 119:70: "Their heart is as fat as grease..." In recent times, obesity has become a major issue in the United States. Many people are doing everything they can to lose weight, through dieting and exercise. Some even go as far as having surgery to remove "fat." As so many people work hard to remove physical "fat," we, as Christians, are often neglecting the "fat" in our hearts, even failing to recognize it. How many discomforts and health problems come with physical "fat"? Yet, the "fat" in our hearts, which leads to sinful results that make our spiritual lives uncomfortable, is often disregarded or even indulged in, producing even greater sin. In such a spiritual condition, suffering is the essential or best medicine to remove the "fat" from our hearts. Through suffering, we must remove the "fat" from our hearts.
(6) Suffering helps us deeply realize the supreme value of God's Word.
Look at Psalm 119:72: "The law of Your mouth is better to me than thousands of pieces of gold and silver." When God delivered the Israelites from Egypt, He allowed them to experience 40 years of suffering in the wilderness to teach them, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord" (Deuteronomy 8:3). Likewise, in this world, which is like a wilderness, as we walk the narrow path that the Lord walked—the path of the cross—we will face many and various sufferings. Ultimately, we must realize that we are dependent solely on the words that proceed from the mouth of the Lord to live. At that moment, we will confess that the value of His Word is more precious than our very lives. How can we compare eternal words to the brief span of human life on this earth? Suffering helps us understand that God's Word is more valuable than wealth and brings us to deeply appreciate the highest value of His Word.
In a socially chaotic world, moving increasingly toward its end, Christians who believe in Jesus will face even greater suffering as we walk the narrow path of the Lord. However, through the words of today's scripture, if we experience the blessings of suffering at each moment of hardship, we will become people who can enjoy the benefits and blessings of suffering, even if greater suffering comes in the future. As the psalmist says in verse 65, we will experience the goodness of the Lord, who deals well with us, and taste His goodness, confessing from the depths of our hearts, "God is so good." May this blessing of suffering be with you and me, in the name of Jesus.
With a heart wishing to become someone who can enjoy the benefits of suffering,
Pastor James
(Unable to sleep, wanting to share the grace I received after declaring this word during the Wednesday prayer meeting.)