Suffering Before Blessings

Will a life fully surrendered and chasing after the Lord be an easy, pain-free life with no sorrows? No, not at all!

Suffering Before Blessings

"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience."

(James 1:2-3)

What an incredible and fulfilling life it is to follow Jesus. Trusting and obeying God brings a multitude of blessings to the life of the follower of Jesus. Will a life fully surrendered and chasing after the Lord be an easy, pain-free life with no sorrows? No, not at all! Jesus told us in advance that we will indeed have trials in this life. He said, "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

Dr. Charles Stanley shares that there are purposes and benefits to our suffering. Keep in mind, he was in his 80s when he preached the Life Principles series of messages. He finished well, knew a lot about suffering, and imparted great words of wisdom for us to glean from. When you are obeying God and still encountering difficulties, keep in mind, the Lord sees, and He is with you. He always rewards faithfulness and obedience. Stanley lists the following benefits related to your present trials and suffering:

We come to the end of ourselves and know total dependence on the Lord. Many are suffering and have not done anything wrong. I have seen people get very impatient at this point. They get angry with God, but a better response would be to tell God that you don't like it or understand, but you are asking Him to please help you. If this trial is what it takes to bring us to the end of ourselves and fully rely on the Lord, we thank God.
It prevents us from becoming prideful, suffering removes the idols we worship. We see loss but God sees it as a blessing! If God took it, then it must have a purpose. Romans 8:28 is still in the Bible! God is in it. If you can grasp this, it will set you free. Honor and obey the Lord, and He will turn the heartache to something good.
It gives us a deeper understanding of who God is. Stanley said he gets excited when he cannot figure out what is happening in the trial he is encountering. But if he responds correctly, he knows he is going to be blessed. He has the mindset of, "This is going to be hard and painful, but I am getting ready to be blessed." He challenges us to look at it from God's perspective, and remember that He loves us, we are His children, He will take care of us, and walk with us.
When we obey God, He blesses us and others. When we obey God even in the hard times, it provides a powerful testimony to those closest to us. It helps lay a foundation for others to help them get through their hard times. We become living examples to others. Paul counted it all joy to be an example. We can do the same thing. When we obey God in hard times, we become living examples of the work and ways of God, of how He brings us through. It becomes a blessing to others.
Obedience brings blessings chosen by God. He may choose to bless us in ways we would not choose. I have seen this in my life. God allows me to walk a hard path, and in doing so, I am equipped to speak truth and hope to others when they walk a similar path.

May the Lord bless you as you walk with Him through your current trial. He is working in your life and building your patience. God will bless and reward your faithfulness to Him.