Praise Him in Our Suffering

Fair to say that I am not the only Christian who has to endure suffering. Whether it's suffering the stress of a full-time job or suffering the self-sacrifice of stewarding a beautiful family or helping in part-time ministry; suffering has become a regular part of my Christian walk. In all my suffering, I never fail to lament...just ask my wife! And I can also say that I never forget to praise God after the storms of life have pass through. But one thing I am guilty of is failing to praise God during my suffering.

At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
Mark 15:33-34

As Christ hung on a Cross, clinging to physical life, His spirit remained strong as he cried out, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" This moment in history has always been portrayed as a moment of spiritual weakness, but I believe that closer examination of PSALMS 22 paints a different picture. This chapter of song, written to the tune of a praise chorus, reveals the ending moments of crucifixion as Christ praising His Father in an act of spiritual strength for his people, not an act of lamenting or questioning our Lord with a spirit of abandonment.

It was a reminder to all those who witnessed his death that all that had taken place was for the fulfillment of prophecy and for the glory of the Father. It was a reminder that in the midst of this terrible suffering, God was completing his plan to forever establish his Kingdom in us and through us so that we could forever have perfect fellowship with Him.

We need to remember that the suffering and persecution we endure in this life, as Christians walking out our faith, should be of no surprise to us. Christ said, "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also." (John 15:18-20)

We need to learn to embrace our suffering and then follow-up that acceptance of revelation with application by praising during our times of suffering. Remember that a dying world is watching and even they can lament in tough times. But the world will stop and recognize a different spirit that dwells in he that offers up praise when death is eminent. When all that we hold dear has turned into ash. "We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you." (2 Cor 4:10-12)

We know that we serve a god who will allow us to experience brokenness with a purpose. We are persecuted, but not abandoned. Struck down at times, but never destroyed. Christ praised God at his death because he knew that death was not the destination. Because of his suffering and his death we became the benefactors of eternal life. We must likewise learn to praise during the tough times because we must share in His suffering and death so that we can also share in His life.