Thanking God
Is it possible to thank God when we hurt? Is it possible to thank God when we observe the suffering of others? Not only is it possible, it’s advisable. When we fail to acknowledge God in our suffering, we fail to understand why we are able to get through it.
You may not feel like thanking God in the midst of your suffering, and certainly you don’t want to thank God when a disaster strikes someone else but misses you. That’s not what we’re talking about. Thanking God when we hurt goes much deeper.
Thanking God in our suffering means that we can thank Him for getting us through our suffering. Have you ever been surprised by how much pain you can endure? When you were very young, it didn’t take much to make you cry. A pinched finger or an unkind word was usually enough to get the tears flowing. But through the years you have toughened up. You can handle more pain, especially if it means helping to ease the pain of someone else.
The apostle Paul experienced more than his share of pain and suffering. He was beaten on many occasions, shipwrecked, and thrown in prison several times. Once Paul was bitten by a poisonous snake! He didn’t ignore or try to minimize his problems; Paul was very aware of the trials he had endured. Even more, he was aware of his resilience in the face of overwhelming odds. In his letter to the Corinthian church, he wrote:
We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed and broken. We are perplexed, but we don’t give up and quit. We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going. 2 Corinthians 4:8-9
Paul’s determination reminds us of Winston Churchill, whose most famous speech was also his shortest and most powerful. As Adolf Hitler was threatening to overrun England and Western Europe, Churchill said to a group of students:
Never give in – never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.
No doubt there have been times when you gritted your teeth and snarled in the face of adversity. Where does this determination come from? It can come from only one source – our Creator, who built into every person the strength to overcome adversity.
Like Paul, we may feel crushed and broken – but we aren’t! We may not know why certain things are happening to us, but we don’t give up. We can thank God for what many have called the indomitable human spirit. And we can thank God for never, ever abandoning us.
There’s another sense in which we can thank God in our suffering. When things get so bad that we don’t think we can bear it any longer, there is someone we can count on to help ease our burden. His name is Jesus, the one who suffered for us more than we will ever know. He is the one who makes our life possible.
Jesus once spoke to a group of people, many of whom were just like us – burdened and hurting. He offered words of comfort that are just as real now as they were two thousand years ago:
“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke (a wooden crosspiece that is fastened over the necks of two animals and attached to the plow or cart that they are to pull) upon you (as a way of direction and guidance). Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light.†Matthew 11:28-30
God has made you to endure and overcome suffering, and Jesus promises to help carry your heavy load. That’s why we can be thankful in our suffering.
In the tough stuff…
Thanking God in everything will help you get through anything.
Never take delight in the misfortune of others.
Everyone’s pain threshold is different. Be sensitive – not critical – with someone who is more sensitive to pain than you are.
Your ability to handle adversity comes from the God who has overcome adversity.
God will never, never, never, never abandon you.
(Excerpt from “God Is In the Tough Stuff†by Bruce & Stan)
