Five Ways Suffering Brings Life by Ron Cantor
One of my favorite verses is Philippians 3:10. Here Paul is in prison, yet instead of asking God to rescue him from prison he says:
I want to know Messiah―yes, to know the power of His resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.
Most people read the first part of that verse and stop. But consider this, in order to receive resurrection power, you must first die. No one has ever been raised from the dead who wasn’t first dead! We embrace this death—entering into His sufferings—by suffering for the Gospel.
Here are five spiritual benefits of suffering:
[if !supportLists]1. [endif]With Suffering Comes Intimacy
There is a level of intimacy with Yeshua that can only be attained through suffering. Paul equates knowing the Messiah with participating in His suffering.
[if !supportLists]2. [endif]Yeshua Invites us to Suffer with Him
I went through a particularly painful situation many years ago. It was so difficult, I thought I was finished in ministry. I knew I could defend myself in that situation, and many encouraged me to do so. But Yeshua’s word to me was, “I am inviting you to die with me.” The minute I said yes, peace entered my soul, and I knew he would vindicate me. And he did within just a few months. I would have short-circuited His intervention had I defended myself.
[if !supportLists]3. [endif]Suffering Brings Maturity
In Bible College we had a young ‘prophet’ come and minister. He was 18 and clearly anointed, but our director warned us that only the years bring wisdom. He was exposed as a homosexual a few years later. Joseph as a teen had a prophetic gift, but he was too immature to use it. By speaking unwisely to his brothers he ended up as a slave—then a prisoner. After many years and trials he was finally mature enough for the calling. His suffering prepared him and in the span of a few hours he became the most powerful man on earth.
[if !supportLists]4. [endif]The Greater the Call, the Greater the Suffering
King David received the call to be king as a youth. For a while things seemed to progress smoothly: invited to play harp for Saul, killed Goliath, became a general and even got a promise from the rightful heir, Jonathan, to become king in his place. And then suddenly King Saul wanted to kill him. For a decade he suffered as he ran from Saul. But in the end, this all served to prepare him. The older, more mature David had two chances to kill Saul, but wouldn’t. He had grown and shortly thereafter became king.
[if !supportLists]5. [endif]From Death Comes Life
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 4:10-12 that when we embrace death for the Gospel, it will produce life in our listeners. All the suffering he endured for the Gospel released a powerful anointing on his efforts to preach the Good News. My family lived a year in Ukraine not long after the revolution. We battled an apartment full of fleas, a bathroom that spewed out sewage through our floor every night and threats from the Mafia. It was hard! But in the end, we left behind a new congregation that has flourished until this day.
While suffering is far from enjoyable, there is simply no other way to become all that God has called you to be.