Ruth Session Five

I just posted Ruth Session Five over on the other blog. Email me if you would like the link. This one is a ton of fun--it is all about suffering.

Silver Linings and Positive Perspectives

I gotta tell you, I'm a little bit ticked off about something. Pardon my strong language, and believe me, I'm restraining myself on the language usage here.

I am seriously offended at the reduction of Christianity to silver linings and positive perspectives in the face of pain and turmoil.

Certainly, there are often silver linings in the hardships that we as Christians face. The problem is that we are told to start squinting at clouds looking for glimpses of silver, and totally miss the obvious point of Christian suffering.

The incorrect view of suffering and pain goes something like this:

"Yes, a bad thing has happened to you, but instead of focusing on that, just think of all the wonderful things that God is doing for you! Child with cancer? Oh, you should just be thankful that you live in a society that has medicine and doctors. Financial distress? Be glad that you have a job at all! Depressed? Count your blessings! Betrayed by a loved one? Keep in mind that people can only hurt you if you give them permission!!! (And above all, never ever forget to lavish love upon yourself, because you deserve it!!!!!)

Are you hearing how ridiculous some of that sounds? And what's worse is that those responses are the kind of drivel that non-Christians are forced to comfort themselves with because they lack anything better.

The secular, non-believing world is reduced to sifting for pebbles of optimism in their sandbox of pain because they have no legitimate means of dealing with troubles and hardships in this life.

But the insane thing is that Christians have lined up right behind them!! I can't tell you how many times I have heard Christian sources tell me to "look on the bright side."

Let's take a look at a verse that is often misunderstood in the search for meaning in suffering.

Romans 8:28

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."

On first glance, that seems to indicate that even if bad things happen to you, some kind of good is going to come out of your bad situation. Well, something that the world considers good might come about as a result of your difficulty, but then again it might not. If you or your spouse get laid off, the "positive thinker" might be tempted to quote this verse and assure you that God has an even better job already lined up.

He might. Or he might choose to give you something that most people would hardly call "good": a time of serious financial strain, in order to cleanse you of your love for this world.

The problem many people make with Romans 8:28 is that they don't read Romans 8:29. Let's take a look at that verse and see what kind of light it sheds on this "good" that God has promised in "all things" to those who "love God."

Romans 8:29

"For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren."

Going back to my previous example (of you or your spouse getting laid off) let's look at it in the proper light of Romans 8:28 and Romans 8:29. Being without your income hardly seems like it could be a good thing, I realize that. At least in the eyes of this world, being broke does not seem good. Surely the only good to come out of that situation would be a source of income that is superior in some way to the old one.

But no, according to Romans 8:29, the good that comes from all things is for the Christian to be "conformed to the image" of Jesus. Not for you to have a comfortable life. Not for "happy" things to magically appear out of "unhappy things." Sanctification, the process of being squeezed and pummelled and winnowed into a more Christ-like image--THAT is the "good" that God promises us in all things.

And God, in His plan to sanctify us more and more into the image of Christ, often employs suffering as a mighty tool. And it is good. I can say that to you as a fellow weakling who hates to suffer. I don't like pain, I don't like hardship. I certainly have no great love for experiencing loss or tragedy. But I do rejoice in being conformed to the image of my Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. And I can only do that through the power of God. It is not a joy that I can muster up in myself apart from Him.

The reality is that there is going to be suffering in the Christian life. Lots of it. If anyone tells you otherwise, and promises you an easy walk in this life if you will become a Christian, they are contradicting what Scripture teaches. Consider just three passages that speak directly to suffering, trials and pain for Christians.

John 16:33

"In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

1 Peter 4:12-13

"Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake in Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy."

John 15: 18-19

"If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you." (all emphasis mine)

Do you see all of that tribulation, trial and hatred promised to Christians?

Why would we ever tell people that Christianity is going to make their life easy? And WHY would we ever try to convince the Christian that God is going to give her something that the God-hating world sees as "good" from her pain? Like I said earlier, positive perspectives are the sort of thing that God's enemies are reduced to scrounging around in to make sense of this fallen and sinful world. "Optimism" is the opiate of the unsaved.

As Christians, we should reject worldly optimism and "looking on the bright side" as a response to pain. Yes, good is promised to all those who love God in all things. But the good is not what the world expects. The good is becoming less like our natural flesh and more like Christ.

And it makes me kind of angry to hear well meaning people try to make me choke down silver linings and happy attitudes. When a horrible thing happens to me, I don't want to be forced to deny it, and conjour up some kind of sunny alternate reality. I want to look forward with joy to the day when all of my tears will be wiped away. And I want to rejoice that God is purging me of sin and polishing me to a brilliant sheen, a sheen that dimly reflects the glory of His Son.

Worldly optimism is a lie. Christian, know the truth.

Silence

My apologies for not showing up lately.

I've been busy and distracted by life in general, but that is not the whole story.

I'm working through some things that are not appropriate blog material, and I can't think of much else to say until I get through them.

Check back, because I will eventually have something to write about.

I just wanted to let you know why I've been silent for such an uncharacteristically long stretch.

As you were.