Role of suffering in the christian

[redwomanwalking 0]

I'd just like to say that God plans on the suffering, the time and place and duration of it, for all mankind, and no one is immune. It doesn't indicate that a person does not have a good-standing relationship with God. It means that God has appointed a time of suffering for someone. I think we do ourselves a misfavor when we judge others' suffering as the result of sin, disobedience or even lack of relationship with God. We cannot see into the heart of that person nor do we know God's reasoning behind the misfortune.

So what do you do other than pray for clarity for someone who declares over and over again that they are so very blessed with all things working like fine wine - mind you, in the face of humble and spiritual people who demonstrate more spiritual maturity and are going through a hard time? It's a slap in the face to everyone and it takes away the faith of some to think that they are suffering while this other boasting person is living it up. What is the purpose of bragging that your life is fine because you've got God's grace and favor? If one has received Jesus and one lives righteously, one has God's grace and favor, period.

I've come to conclude in life that we're on an upclining hill and the way will get tougher as we climb. We'll gain strength but it will often come through pain. If someone's life is going well, every aspect of it, just wait. And when one arrives to the place of pain, they too might have questions, doubts, fears and the addition of someone who will tell him/her that they're not right with the Lord. Something to consider.

"Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord
delivers him out of them all." (Psalm 34:19)

"Yes, and all who desire
to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution." (2 Timothy
3:12)

[Virtuous 0]

I agree with what you've said and your scripture reference sums it up. This is a preparation stage. God is actually allowing suffering to make us who He wants us to be. We can't decide what we go through or when we go through it. However; to some degree, I think we can determine how long we stay in it by how we respond to it...how we deal with it...what are actions are. Meaning, if we're kicking and screaming while we're going through, there's no way we can see, hear or feel God. He's just going to step back until we calm down. The suffering we go through depends upon the anointing and our assignment. Anointing comes with a high price.

So what do you do other than pray for clarity for someone who declares over and over again that they are so very blessed with all things working like fine wine - mind you, in the face of humble and spiritual people who demonstrate more spiritual maturity and are going through a hard time? It's a slap in the face to everyone and it takes away the faith of some to think that they are suffering while this other boasting person is living it up

.
You never know what a person is going through. I was about to lose everything I had and I still had a kool-aid smile on my face and boasted about the goodness and faithfulness of the Lord and proclaimed how blessed and highly favored I was in the Lord. The enemy tried to still that joy and peace from me by telling me I was crazy, that I was about to lose everything I had and I was running around like everything was "working like fine wine". One of my friends (not saved) told me a person would never know I was going through so much just by watching me.

I had a beautiful 4 bedroom, 2 full bath home, sitting on almost two acres of land. A part of my income, that I was counting on, stopped and I fell behind in all of my bills so my house was up for foreclosure. I made plans to get a part-time job with a fast-food chain that I had worked with for many years. God said no and for me to trust Him. I had gotten a start date and everything but I would miss Bible Studies and Prayer Meetings and I knew I needed to be in both of them - I desired to be in both of them. It was either going to be that I would get a job to save my home and miss church, or trust God. A lot of people (yes, some of my Christian family at church) thought I had just been living in sin and was about to lose my home. That wasn't the case. At first it bothered me and I wanted to go ahead and get the job anyway to bring money into the house to make sure I didn't lose my home. But God kept saying no and for me to trust Him. At that point, I didn't care what anybody thought. People kept telling me what I should do, which all led to the opposite of what God was telling me. But I had to follow God. I just knew He was going to perform this great miracle for me to keep my home. NOT...

I lost my home but I had so much peace in my heart about it because I knew I had been obedient to God. Shortly after that, God sent me a word through my Pastor and told me that because of my obedience, He was going to bless me with a beautiful home bigger and better than the one I lost. The following week, a prophet called me out and confirmed what my Pastor said. I was told God had to get me out of my house and to the apartments I moved to that I could reach someone for Him. I wasn't sure at the time what they were talking about but I just rested in it. I became very close with my neighbor and I would share the messages my Pastor taught with her. We would sit on her porch (our hang out spot) and I would share my faith with her. That went on for about a year before I moved out. I would still go by to visit and talk with her and she would tell me how she was in church and I could tell by her conversation, God was moving in her life. I knew she was developing a relationship with the Lord - I could see growth in her. A year after I moved away, she died. I was devasted. But God reminded me of what was told to me about reaching someone. It was her. Sharing my faith with her for just that year made a difference in her life. She got saved and I thank God that I was obedient, regardless of the circumstances and how it looked to everyone else, that I was able to be a part of God's plan for her life. Getting a job to save my home was and is not worth the salvation of someone else. Even though at the time I didn't know things were going to work out that way. Yes, God could've raised someone else up to do it because He would not have had her to miss her salvation because of my disobedience.

I said all of that to say this. Don't misinterpret someone's declaration of how blessed they are. I know from experience that all hell can be breaking lose in your life and the joy of the Lord is your strength and it will bring you so much peace that the tornado you're going through will seem like a light wind to you.

Oh, yeah...as I said I still lost my house but it wasn't foreclosed on. IT WAS SOLD!

I'M IN HIGH EXPECTATION TO RECEIVE MY BEAUTIFUL HOME, TOO. IT'S ON THE WAY....

[Cholette 0]

AWESOME!!!!! I love this!!!

[redwomanwalking 0]

Virtuous wrote:

I

I said all of that to say this. Don't misinterpret someone's declaration of how blessed they are. I know from experience that all hell can be breaking lose in your life and the joy of the Lord is your strength and it will bring you so much peace that the tornado you're going through will seem like a light wind to you.

Oh, yeah...as I said I still lost my house but it wasn't foreclosed on. IT WAS SOLD!

I'M IN HIGH EXPECTATION TO RECEIVE MY BEAUTIFUL HOME, TOO. IT'S ON THE WAY....

I'm glad things worked out for you. However, I'm not pointing out a situation in which we are giving testimony to the greatness of God but rather to ourselves via braggadoccia as a means to say that some have God's favor and some others do not simply judging by tragic circumstances in one's life. That is not godly, that is boastful and prideful and no man should boast except for Jesus and what He has done for humanity. We as christians often forget that we can certainly tear down a fellow human being, believer or not, simply through pride and arrogance when God calls us to edify one another in Him. That is religious abuse. Example, giving someone a "word of knowledge" that they should give their lives to Christ because it hasn't happened yet. Or saying they aren't as spiritual as they should be when we're warned specifically not to do this but to take care of our own spirituality. Only God knows the heart and only He hears the sincere prayers and clean heart directed towards Him. Sometimes, people are just wrong about it.

Thankfully, your case was entirely different because you were keeping your heart towards Him through the storm and not complaining but giving encouragement to others through a nice spirit.

[Virtuous 0]

I didn’t get a notification when you replied to my response last month. I just so happened to open this up because of the topic. I didn’t even realize I had already previously opened AND posted to it. I had forgotten all about it.

After reading your response, I feel that you yourself, or someone you know (but I personally think it’s you) have been or are in the furnace. I feel that God is testing you or has tested you at a point in your life when you knew/know that you are in right standing with him…living a righteous and holy life before Him. I don’t think you knew what was going on (not at first) because it all happened so fast. It blew you away because one minute things were great and then all of a sudden…BAM! And you’re like, WHAT?!

The test God had/has you in, has put you on blast in front of everybody and to the flesh (people), what you were/are going through looks just like the result of sin in your life. In most cases, it would be, but not in your case. How do I know? It happened to me – back to back...once with losing my house and the other with having my son.

The hardest time of suffering (like what you’re talking about) was with my son. I could see/hear the whispering…the talking behind my back…the “I knew it” looks. I could go on and on. Even now, just thinking about that time brings tears to my eyes. Everyone had their two-cents to say, including the devil. I thought I was going to lose it. I was so devastated and heartbroken. After all, I didn’t want people to look at me in the way they were looking at me. I couldn’t explain to them what I was going through because none of them understood. Heck, I didn’t understand it myself. The more I tried to explain, the LESS sense it made.

I would hear the same talk you’re speaking about that would crush my spirit and make me feel like if I hadn’t been living in sin, I could have the same thing. It wasn’t so much directed at me, but you know when conversations come up and it’s indirectly directed at you. That was a very trying and lonely time for me. But God, stepped in right on time. He sent me a word that soothed my soul. He specifically told me that what was happening with me was ALL HIM! It had nothing to do with sin but it had EVERYTHING to do with HIS PURPOSE for my life. He told me not to keep anything from Him (This is when He taught me that He truly cares about my feelings. Even when it seems to be nothing to others, but was VERY REAL to me; He cares about what I was feeling while suffering); and to only obey Him.

THAT word got me through those times and as I go through things now, I allow it to encourage me because when I know I’m living upright before the Lord, there is hope, there is vindication and there is liberty. More importantly, there’s a GREAT anointing that follows! He didn’t deliver me out of the furnace, but He certainly got in there with me and what people thought didn’t matter anymore. It’s like my Pastor says, “You’re going to always be accused; just don’t be guilty”. I know all the nay-Sayers/enemies were like, “Now I know she was in there by herself; but there is a 2^nd man in the fire”! Hallelujah, Jesus! There were times I got so weary. But because He knew I had to go through it to make me who He’s chosen me to be; He carried me. As He carried me; He strengthened me. When He strengthened me, He put me back down to walk it out. This went on until I made it out. And when I tell you I made it out WITHOUT smelling like smoke…I made it out WITHOUT smelling like smoke!!!!!!!!!! Ya heard me?!