Suffering & Doubt – Chapter 6
When we find ourselves in seasons of suffering there are two primary perspectives we can have.
Before we consider the two perspectives, let’s define perspective. In this context perspective describes the way you view your suffering. You might think of it as the lens through which you choose to view your suffering.
One perspective is to view God, His character, and His promises through the lens of your suffering. This is our sinful and default position, because when suffering enters our life it presents itself as bigger than God. This dangerous and distorted view puts suffering in the position of power. This perspective allows suffering to define God, His character, and His promises – ultimately creating an idolatrous and false god.
The second perspective is to view your suffering through the lens of God, His character, and His promises. This is the way of the Spirit. This is the way of truth. This is the perspective that allows us to see our suffering for what it is. Suffering does not have free reign in our lives. Suffering is controlled and purposeful. Our good God who loves us is using the suffering of this broken world to accomplish His good ends.
Maintaining the right perspective is not easy. We know this from our own experiences of suffering, but we also know this from the record of Scripture. Many in the storyline of the Bible struggled to maintain the right perspective on suffering. Many of the Psalms begin from the wrong perspective, but line by line coarse correct until the Psalmist once again has a faithful and true perspective on God and our suffering.
The prophets bemoan their suffering, questioning Yahweh’s goodness, love, and sense of justice. One of my favorite examples is Habakkuk:
O LORD, how long shall I cry for help,
and you will not hear?
Or cry to you “Violence!”
and you will not save?
Why do you make me see iniquity,
and why do you idly look at wrong?
Destruction and violence are before me;
strife and contention arise.
So the law is paralyzed,
and justice never goes forth.
For the wicked surround the righteous;
so justice goes forth perverted.Habakkuk 1:2-4
The prophets often ask “Why are the bad guys winning and the good guys losing?” “Why are we – your children – suffering?”
In chapter 6 of his book, Suffering, Paul Tripp addresses our doubts and how Satan’s modus operandi is to get us to question God’s character.
The Enemy is seeking to make us doubt the goodness, love, presence, and power of God. he knows that if we begin to question God’s character and power, we will quit going to God and seeking his help. (Tripp, Suffering, 94)
Christians we must fight for the right perspective. We must fight to view our suffering through the lens of God, His character, and His promises. To conclude the chapter Tripp provides a few practical ways we can combat our tendencies and maintain a right perspective.
- Fight the Devils Lies
- Count Your Blessings
- Daily Confess Your Struggle to Believe
- Get Busy Being Who You are in Christ – focus on the spiritual disciplines and discipleship work we are called to.
- Encourage Other Doubters
- Let Doubt Drive You to Jesus
Suffering – Chapter Four
In chapter four of “Suffering” Paul Tripp addresses the issue of fear. In our seasons of suffering fear grows large as God grows smaller.
When fear rules your heart, you don’t see or think about life accurately. You function with distorted vision that causes you to make wrong conclusions and bad decisions. And because fear distorts your vision, you trouble your own trouble. In counseling I have warned people over and over again that things were not as bad as they could be and that they could make them worse by responding to their trouble in the wrong way. So you have to fight to see life with the eyes of faith and not through the lens of fear.
We cannot allow fear to be the lens through which we view life and make decisions. In seasons of suffering we must pray along with the disciples, “Lord, increase our faith!” When I was in the emergency room, they wanted to try and re-locate the bones in my feet so they gave me a cocktail of drugs that seemed to release from reality. I could hear voices. I could feel the doctors pulling on my leg. At times my eyes would slightly open and I could see blobs moving about the room. I remember distinctly hearing the word “surgery”. I have to admit in that moment I was afraid.
Throughout the Bible there is an often repeated phrase: “The Lord was with him”. For instance in Joseph’s distress “the Lord was with him.” In that moment of disassociation in the ER the Lord was with me. The Holy Spirit began to flood my mind with Scripture and truth. Whether I was speaking out-loud or in my head (the nurses and doctors only know) I began to quote Scripture.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, do not lean to your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5)
“He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.” (Psalm 91:4-6)
When our fears begin to distort our faith, we need a greater fear, a fear that is the beginning of all wisdom – the Fear of the Lord. We must let God’s word – His truth – shape the way we are viewing life’s circumstances.
Suffering – Chapter Three
As I am reading through Suffering by Paul Tripp I am simply picking out truths that are helpful for me and hopefully helpful for you. In chapter three Tripp tackles the deeper issues of our suffering – the way that our hearts react to suffering.
As people made in God’s image, none of us lives life based on the raw facts of our experiences. We all live based on our particular interpretation of those facts. In this way, the central battleground of suffering is not physical, financial, situational, or relational. The impact of suffering on all those things is real, often long-term, and sometimes breathtakingly difficult. But the physical hardship always becomes hardship of the heart. Physical suffering soon becomes a war of thoughts and desires. Suffering yanks profound questions and cravings out of us. It forces us to examine and consider things in a new way or for the first time. It makes us wonder in ways we’ve never wondered, to doubt what we previously assumed, to crave what we’ve never desired, and to think in ways we’ve never thought.
Paul Tripp, Suffering, 47
What is suffering squeezing out of your heart?
Letter to Meadowview
It is 4am and my foot is a combination of throbbing, burning, and numb – so I can’t sleep. I have accepted that this will be the new normal for foreseeable future. And the truth of the matter is this is one area where God is challenging me to grow. Those who know me know that I love a good schedule and nice crisp routine. So when there is no schedule or no routine I struggle. I would be foolish to not acknowledge that many of you live in this reality of chronic pain. So, I am now learning what you already know to be true.
Personally I am aware that Satan would love to use this to draw me away from Christ – who I most often find in my routines. And to be honest in some ways I see that Satan has already been successful in luring me away. In those areas I must repent!
So, why am I sharing this with you? Because I also believe that Satan wants to have his destructive way with Meadowview Baptist Church. He would love to exploit this strange season – where the teaching pastor/elder is incapacitated – and slide in and do his worst. I beg you, DO NOT LET HIM IN. I do not mean to say that when I am healthy Satan wouldn’t dare attack our church – I’ve seen him come for us in every season. But we must recognize this – as he certainly does – as a unique opportunity. While, I am grateful for Chuck and Dustin and their faithful leadership at Meadowview, they are lay-Elders meaning the ministry cannot be their full time priority – they have other careers and occupational responsibilities, outside of the care of the flock.
Now to the point.
I am asking you – every member of Meadowview – to do whatever you can to resist the devil in the coming days and weeks.
So what can you do? How can you practically resist the devil in these days?
First, Abide in Christ. Remain dependent upon Jesus. Remember that He is vine that supplies, you the branch with eternal life, spirit-filled life. When you lack love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, humility, self-control, faithfulness, gratitude – you must realize that you are not abiding in Jesus, but rather in self and that only leads to death. So review 1 John and work at Abiding in Christ.
Second, Walk in Humility or as Peter says, “Cloth yourself in humility”. Put the principles of Philippians 2:1-8 into practice. Following the example of Jesus prefer the interest of others over yourself. Be sacrificial towards others with your time, kindness, mercy. Do not let Satan fuel your pride to cause a division in the body.
Third, Be Doers of the Word. In James 1 when James describes the person who merely hears the word without “doing” the word he says that this person is deceived. In the coming weeks as you hear Gods word in your personal study, group study, and corporate church gatherings make sure that you are eagerly obedient to whatever Christ is revealing to you through His word. If He desires for you to give more to missions, then be obedient. If He shows you that you have been harsh and unforgiving towards your spouse, then be obedient. If he shows you that you have been lazy regarding ministry, then be obedient.
Fourth, Lovingly Serve the Church. I plead with you in my absence do not take a seat on the bench, but get in the game. My absence leaves ministry gaps to fill. Look for those gaps and stand in them! Ask Chuck, Dustin, John, Nathan, or Torrey what you can do to help. Come to every church gathering purposefully LOOKING for ways to serve others. If you see a piece of trash in the yard, pick it up and throw it away. If you see a visitor, greet them and see if they have any questions or needs. If you notice that someone is not present, give them a call and let them know that they were missed and see how you can pray for them. If someone is sick and can’t fill their role, be flexible and ready to jump in and help out.
Fifth, Encourage one Another. Let me repeat one of the previous points. Watch out for one another! One of my jobs as a pastor is to care for the souls of the church. In my absence will you help me with this task. I won’t be there to notice that someone is absent. I won’t be there to notice that someone is discouraged. I won’t be there to notice that someone is rejoicing. Will you be there? Will you care for one another? Will you take time to pray with a hurting brother or sister? Will you take time to send a text that includes encouraging scripture?
Sixth, Faithfully Gather with the Church. You cannot do or be any of the above things if you are selfish with your time and forsake assembling with one another. Make it point to prioritize Christ and His church over the next several weeks. Don’t schedule Kingdom things into your life, schedule your life around Kingdom things.
Seventh, Pray. Praying is one thing that I can do while I sit here and I am taking this challenge seriously and asking you to do the same. I want to specifically call on our men to lead in this. Every Sunday morning a few men gather to pray at 8am in the auditorium. Over the next several weeks what if we went from a few men to a dozen or more men gathered to pray each Sunday morning? Maybe you can’t make it on Sunday morning, what about grabbing a couple of others and praying with them after the Sunday service? Maybe you are aware that a family is struggling – marriage, finances, job situation, etc. – what grace it would be if you took time to pray for them. Prayer is our greatest weapon as we face the one who desires to destroy all that Christ holds dear.
Meadowview, I love you all. I love our church fellowship. I love to recount each week all that Christ is doing in and through His church. But we must remain vigilant, especially in this season. Remember what Satan might intend for evil, God always intends for our good and His glory. This season is not just a threat of danger ahead, it is a glorious opportunity for Christ to build His church. May God continue to show grace in your life, your family, and in the fellowship and ministry of Meadowview Baptist Church.
Blessing in Christ,
Pastor Josh
Suffering – Chapter One
Nearly two weeks ago I broke my foot in what the orthopedic surgeons called “the strangest possible way.” I’ll spare you the details, but so far there have been two surgeries, which allowed them to place pins that are currently holding the Talus and Calcaneus bones in place. My final surgery is two days away. This surgery will involve an incision, plates, screws, and twelve weeks of recovery.
As I sat in the ER, experiencing more pain than I have ever experienced before, I was looking around the room. There was a mom with a baby; husbands waiting with wives; wives waiting with husbands; friends waiting with friends. In that moment the thought did come to mind that I am not alone in my pain, in fact many of those folks in that waiting room were suffering far more than me.
As a pastor I often find myself in the middle of suffering, not my suffering, but the suffering of others – others that I love dearly. But this time it was me in the hospital bed – it was a strange turn of events. As I laid there I determined to move through my suffering with intent. I asked my daughter to retrieve Paul Tripp’s book titled Suffering from my office. My intent in the coming days and weeks is to read through this book and post what I am learning along the way.
Here is the line that hit me in chapter one.
Physical suffering exposes the delusion of personal autonomy and self-sufficiency.
Wow, do I feel that line! The autonomy to walk across the room is gone. The autonomy to hop in bed and not even think about the pain and position of my foot is gone. The autonomy to make my own plate of food or get my own cup of water – gone and gone!
Over the past week my complete dependence on family and friends has been a glaring reminder that I am always, and I mean always, dependent upon God. Despite my delusions of autonomy, apart from him I could not produce my next breath.
Tripp further elaborates:
If you and I had the kind of control that we fall into thinking we have, none of us would ever go through anything difficult. None of us would choose to be sick, None of use would choose to experience physical pain. None of us likes the prospect of being physically weak and disabled. None of us likes our lives being put on hold. Physical suffering does force you to face the reality that your life is in the hands of another. It reminds you that you are small and dependent, that whatever little bits of power and control you have can be taken away in an instant. Independence is a delusion that is quickly exposed by suffering (20)
Today, tomorrow, and every day after let’s remember that our very existence is dependent upon Him. And our seasons of suffering are gracious reminders of this truth.