It makes sense that an unbeliever could see little to no positivity in affliction. But how can so many Christians follow suit when suffering is God’s way of showing His love for His children? It’s a tragedy.
 
And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.
 
Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness.
 
For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.
- Hebrews 12:5-13
 
I think affliction is undervalued because there’s a misconception about discipleship, even among Christians. They hear Jesus’ words, “my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:30) and they ignore the passage above. This is often a willful misdirection and misapplication of Holy Scripture. Both of these passages have context that mustn’t be ignored. For example, Jesus’ words were to folks under the yoke of religion during His time (e.g. Jewish law was oppressive, not freeing). In the Book of Hebrews, the writer was communicating to a group of believers who were suffering for Christ and needed a dose of perspective for encouragement’s sake.
 
The Bible teaches us that suffering is ordained by God in order to sanctify us. It forces us to rely on God for the faith that delivers us. This type of faith is not self-reliant; rather it is a surrender to God’s will, purpose, and plan for our lives. This type of faith is a grace gift. Throughout our lives, our suffering purifies us in the way a metallurgist purifies precious metals by placing them in a furnace and then scraping the slag off the top. This process doesn’t just sound painful, it is. But, as the writer of Hebrews stated, “For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:11).
 
Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
- Romans 5:3-5
 
Suffering implies sanctification for believers, which means God is glorified (after all, it is His good work on full display). It is by grace through faith which we are delivered. In this sense, affliction has a very real purpose, as Jesus taught Martha and Mary, Lazarus’ sisters.
 
So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, [Lazarus] whom you love is ill.” But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
- John 11:3-4
 
We must turn the tables on our afflictions, embracing them as nods from our God in Heaven who not only loves us enough to refine us through suffering, but does so for the sake of His own glory! As we mature in the faith, we find our peace in knowing that God is exalted through our suffering. This is quite a change in our perspective compared to when we were immature believers. As immature believers, we typically were willing to suffer for our own glory; however, the prospect of suffering for God’s glory alone requires sanctification and purification at the hands of God the Holy Spirit working with God’s Word. This is why we study our Bibles!
 
Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction. For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another.
- Isaiah 48:10-11
 
The value of God’s Word during times of affliction is incalculable. Ask a mature believer on their deathbed what they ascribe their deliverance to. They will refer to God’s Word.
 
Blessed are you, O LORD; teach me your statutes!
With my lips I declare all the rules of your mouth.
In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches.
I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways.
I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.
Deal bountifully with your servant, that I may live and keep your word.
Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.
- Psalm 119:12-18
 
God’s Word is gold in times of suffering. We need it because we cannot possibly deliver ourselves. We are destitute without it, morally broke. The Lord encourages us to buy this gold from Him!
 
For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.
- Revelation 3:17-19
 
Suffering is God’s chosen crucible to prove His glory. It’s where the throes of death and God’s eternal will, purpose, and plan meet. It’s where frail, otherwise helpless creatures become instruments of righteousness.
 
For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried. You brought us into the net; you laid a crushing burden on our backs; you let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance.
- Psalm 66:10-12
 
God, Himself, has assigned great value to affliction. He uses it to show His preeminence in this Universe. When we are weak, He is strong. That’s grace in a nutshell. In this sense, affliction and grace are bound. This binding is God’s glory.
 
In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
- 1 Peter 1:6-9
 
One more note of encouragement before I close…
 
Always remember, “Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2). Jesus is our prototype in the faith. He relied solely on the grace of God to secure His “joy” while afflicted. He trusted in His Father’s Word regarding His plan for salvation. He saw the end from the beginning and knew the value assigned to His suffering.
 
For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.
- Hebrews 2:10
 
Please don’t conflate affliction with despair. If anything, God uses suffering in your life to remind you of His love for you. This ought to bring you great joy. Granted, purification requires heat, lots of it; but do not be discouraged for God is at work in you, as He promised.
 
And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
- Philippians 1:6
 
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
- Ephesians 2:10
 
And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
- 2 Corinthians 3:18
 
You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
- Matthew 5:14-16

Love in Christ,

Ed Collins