Even a brief glimpse of the pastoral notes in our church bulletin this week would indicate that as a congregation we’re not having an easy time of it.  Two bereavements are mentioned – including the Lord taking home a “mother in Israel” – and that’s happened after another funeral not all that long ago.  Two men are engaged in a serious battle with cancer.  One man is in intensive care in hospital.  Two ladies are still healing from broken bones while another lady had a broken ankle not so long ago.  Still another lady is still getting over hip-replacement surgery.  And then I haven’t listed others with chronic health problems.  Nor have I mentioned yet several unemployed people.  That’s a lot of misery for a small congregation like ours to cope with.

Are there some lessons in that?  Absolutely!

To begin with, this is reality.  I read with one person this past week from Romans 8, that we live in a fallen world that is groaning in the pains of childbirth waiting for the glorious liberty of the children of God.  And we’re presently copping our share of the “groaning” creation.  The Lord does not set aside the “natural laws” so that Christians are preserved from sickness, grief and death – despite what the health, wealth and prosperity preachers, might want us to think.  Sure... we all know that God still hears prayers and He still does miracles too but if miracles happened in every instance where a Christian got sick or was injured then we wouldn’t call them ‘miracles’, we’d call them ‘normals’.  So at present the Lord is giving us as a congregation a reality check.  This is a fallen world and we eagerly await the renewal of all things.

Secondly, a failure to recognise that, robs us of opportunities for spiritual growth.  Or to put it another way: when all is said and done these things are for our sanctification.  Sadly the health, wealth and prosperity preachers have no theology of suffering.  Paul did.  So did James.  Paul states that we as Christians “rejoice in our sufferings because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance character; and character hope” (Rom.5:3,4).  James says essentially the same thing: “Consider it pure joy my brothers whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance” (James 1:2,3).  We may prefer spiritual growth in less painful ways but we cannot deny that God often blesses us – not by taking our problems away but by coming to us in our suffering.

Thirdly, suffering and need provide us with wonderful opportunities to serve one another.  The difficulties we face are an opportunity to share Christian fellowship as we weep with those who weep.  Paul puts it even more strongly.  He has this view that our own suffering and pain help us to enter more fully into the suffering and pain of others.  “The God of all comfort comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” (2Cor.1:3,4).  God has out us Christians into a body where various members care for one another.  When all is well we don’t always experience that “body life” of the church so forcefully but when trials come and we see others hurting, then that so often brings out the best in us as the Lord impresses on us the needs of others.

May the Lord give us the grace to instruments of peace and healing to those who are burdened and hurting.

John Westendorp