Suffering

I stole this from a friend's blog who is currently doing a James MacDonald series in her Sunday school class. I think it is very insightful, especially for those who may be going through a rough time in their lives. I know that one of the good things that comes from suffering is that we are brought closer to God, we go to him and lean on him. I never had looked at suffering in this way before though. I never had looked at as a way for us to become more like Him. After reading this, I realize how true that is, I realize that 'without suffering, we can't be perfected'...


Today he was discussing some of the myths concerning God's goals for this world. This one struck home: "God is trying to make us all healthy, wealthy, and happy."

He went on to say that this tragic distortion of the gospel is repeatedly told in our prosperous society but that it could never be told in Third World counties where people know of true suffering and pain unlike we Americans who feel cheated and wronged if our neighbor is driving a newer car than we are. We do not know their kind of suffering - we believe that it is our right to be happy. Wrong.

James claims that suffering is part of the cross. That Christ uses it to chisel away at our sinful hearts. Without suffering, we can't be perfected. He is working in us to perfect us...to make us LIKE HIM! So that as each year passes in our Christian walk, when we look in the mirror we start to see less of ourselves and more of Him.

II Corinthians 3:18 says, " And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."