Our Kids Need a Theology for Suffering—So Do We

In early March, Covenant Presbyterian Pastor Chad Scruggs proclaimed God’s sovereign hand in suffering and his goodness even unto death in his sermon on Lazarus’ death from John 11. A few short weeks later, his words would be put to the test after the Scruggs family along with two other Nashville families lost children in the recent school shooting. But when Scruggs was asked by one of his church elders if he still believed everything he had preached, Chad answered with resounding confidence, “Even more so!”

We hear this and are amazed. It seems preposterous that a father could possibly hold fast to his conviction that God is good after his only daughter was taken from him. And yet if God was not on his throne is there any hope at all? 

For Chad, God was not absent from his daughter’s tragic death. Rather, He delivered her safely into the arms of Jesus at just the time he had ordained. Chad’s belief is a testament of God’s grace and rooted in the power of God’s word, exacty what God’s truth is meant to do. Only in clinging to the promise-making, promise-keeping God is there any comfort or hope. But too often for most of us in our trials—big and small—instead of comfort and confidence we accuse and/or forsake God. Therefore, we need a theology for suffering—for our sakes and our children’s.

Suffering is Universal

Scripture is clear that in this world we will have trouble (John 16:33) and we should not be surprised when trials come upon us, as though something strange were happening (1 Peter 4:12). Whether in the form of everyday frustrations or unsurmountable grief, we all experience suffering of various degrees throughout our lives. Some trials are a consequence of our sin or someone else’s. Other times suffering comes for no other reason than we live in a broken world. 

When we see the universality of suffering, it shifts our perspective from what we sometimes presume about suffering—that we are the only one experiencing hardship or that God uses trials like “karma,” to pay people back for the bad things they do. But God doesn’t work that way. As sinners with hearts naturally set against God, we don’t deserve any good thing, and yet God pours out his grace, protection, and love all the time. 

Suffering Sanctifies Us

No one wants suffering; we do everything in our power to avoid it! But scripture tells us “When we meet trials of various kinds, we can count it all joy” (James 1:2-4) and “rejoice, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope. (Romans 5:3–4). Even still we don’t want it and yet how many times have you heard—maybe even said yourself—that though you wouldn’t wish certain suffering on anyone, what the suffering led to, they (or you) would not undo? This is because of exactly what these verses reveal— suffering has a way of growing us into maturity and moving us into a deeper relationship with God. As we notice this, we discover what it means to rejoice in suffering. 

Suffering Unites Us to Jesus

Jesus left the glory and perfection of heaven to enter a messed-up, broken world in part, so he would understand all that we go through. There is nothing we experience that he didn’t also experience. Therefore, we can go to him, and he “gets” us even when maybe nobody else does. 

Being united to him in suffering also means that we “get” more of who he is as the Man of Sorrows. His life on earth was full of suffering, and yet he perfectly and sinlessly endured until death. In doing so, he ensured our suffering would end. He is making all things new. He has already conquered sin to ensure that those who know him will spend all eternity with him. Therefore, we look to him for the hope of heaven, where there will be no more tears. We look to him to help us endure, knowing we are not alone. 

Suffering Points Us Heavenward

When things are comfortable, when life is great, when we experience no hardships, it is easy to not think about Jesus. We don’t need him; everything here and now is satisfying to us. But the more the things in this world fail to deliver, the more we long for another world. Hardship, trials, suffering have a way of keeping us looking heavenward. 

I don’t know about you, but the longer I’ve lived in the brokenness and sin of this world, the more I yearn for Christ’s return, for all things to be made right. Suffering does that, whether my own or witnessing the suffering of others. The more we are exposed to suffering, the more we want redemption. It creates an ache, an unsettling, that causes us to fix our eyes on the One who is faithful. 

As Christians, we know victory has been won. Satan has been defeated. Darkness will not win the day. Christ will come and all things will be made new. This is our great hope. It helps us endure. To believe true that “after we have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called us to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish us” (1 Peter 5:10). 

Without a theology of suffering and without God’s infallible word and the One whom that word reveals, how can we stand firm? How do we combat our despair? For what purpose would we even want to endure?

It’s hard enough knowing these truths. The difference a robust theology of suffering will make is a more rooted hope in him in all things, and the ability to persevere. It doesn’t mean there won’t still be sadness, grief, doubts, and questions. But we know from the Psalms that God is big enough to handle our every emotion and welcomes us to come to him with it all. As we also see from the psalmists, even in angst over suffering and while wondering when God will intervene, what still comes through is a resolute, “I will trust you.” It is one of those, “I believe; help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24). 

That is my prayer for us all—that he would help us trust him when life doesn’t make sense and the hard feels never-ending. That we would be comforted and upheld by his word about who he is and the “for just a little while” suffering would pale in comparison to an eternity with him. 

Excerpts in this post taken from Parenting Ahead. Parenting Ahead releases Monday, April 17th. Click image to order.