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Faith in Pain and Suffering

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What is faith?  How does it work, especially in times of pain  and suffering? To know there is pain and suffering in the world is one thing, to experience it is quite another.  No one chooses pain, especially pain that is greater than our ability to ignore or will away. No one chooses suffering, especially the kind that that pushes us beyond the end of our own resources.

 

Abraham is known as our father of faith.  I wonder what faith looked like for Abraham in the midst of pain and suffering.  I wonder what was it like for him to walk the three day journey towards to sacrifice his Son.  The call to sacrifice not just what you love most but who you love most is heart wrenching. Abraham was obeyed when God called him to this because He believed God.  He believed God was who He said He was, and He loved God without reserve.  Faith is a willingness to die to self to love God most.  Abraham’s life was marked by it. 

 

 The ultimate example of faith is the author and finisher of our faith, Jesus Himself.  No one experienced pain and suffering as intensely as Jesus did. His willingness to die to self to love God most, is unparalleled.  

 

We too are called to walk in faith, to die to self to love God most.  Faith works, because it is fueled by a God who is unlimited.  Faith is willing to die not because it has learned to embrace an end, but because faith itself is endless.  Our hearts will be crushed. Our dreams will die. Unless Christ returns first, we and the people we love will die, and those who remain will be heartbroken.  The pain is crushing. Faith endures, not because it has made peace with the pain of death and suffering, but because faith has made peace with the God of  resurrection.  Faith remains when dreams die and when suffering prevails, not because it feels no pain, but because of what lies on the other side of the pain.  Redemption. Resurrection. Wholeness. Eternity with the God of all Comfort. Faith is able to withstand the pain of death, whether it be the death of a dream, a comfort, or one most loved, because death is not the end.  To die to self to love God most is to relinquish all, not into an abyss of nothingness, but into the hands of an Almighty and Loving Father. A Redeemer. A Resurrected Life Giver.    

 

“Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”  Hebrews 12:2 (ESV).

 

Were there no death, there would be no need for resurrection.  Were there nothing seemingly irredeemable in this life, we would need no Redeemer.  The day is coming when all that can be resurrected will be resurrected, a day when the work of the Redeemer will culminate and pain, death and suffering will be cast into darkness.  For the redeemed, the joy that is set before us will become reality. Meanwhile, we walk in faith. Not faith that we will be spared pain, death and suffering this side of Heaven, but faith in the joy that awaits us on the other side.  This is faith, that we believe in The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit, that they are who they say they are, and that we love this Trinity without reserve This is faith, and it works because it is fueled by a God who is unlimited. Even in the midst of pain and suffering, it absolutely works.

 

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