Your Suffering is About God
It's not about us. It's about God. We are to be like the moon, reflecting the light of the sun. And one of the ways that we do this is through suffering. Believe it or not, our suffering and our struggles are not so much about us, but they're about God.
And Max Lucado in this book It’s Not About Me, talks about this in chapter 12. He says these words: “Your pain has a purpose. Your problems, struggles, heartaches and hassles cooperate toward one end - the glory of God.”
This is hard for us to swallow, isn't it? We don't like to be uncomfortable or be in a difficult situation. But God always has a purpose for our pain. And it's not about us. It's about him. It's about showing forth His glory to a world who needs to see His glory.
Purpose in Pain: Glorifying God through Difficult Moments
Do you remember when Jesus healed a man born blind in John 9? His disciples said to Jesus, “Who sinned, this man or his parents, that He was born blind?” And Jesus said, “Neither. It was so that the work of God might be displayed in Him.”
And what about Lazarus, who died? Remember that in John 11? When Jesus heard that he died, he said, “This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God so that the Son of God may be glorified by it.” Difficult moments in these people's lives were for a purpose: to glorify God.
This helped me as I read this. Maybe it'll help you too: Lucado talks about how our pain and our suffering is like a picture frame display saying something precious. Our pain is the frame in which God's greatness can be displayed. If you see your pain in that way, then even if you aren't healed of it, it can still have a purpose.
You might have some sort of ailment in your life or difficult situation that you can't see any way out of. Can you see it as a frame today? When people look at you suffering will it point them to the glory of God?
Lucado talks about a friend of his who was in the hospital struggling with his faith, and he said to him, “It's not about you. Your hospital room is a showcase for your maker. Your faith in the face of suffering cranks up the volume of God's song.”
Suffering with Purpose: Shining God's Glory
Isn't that a good picture? I hope that in my times of difficulty, I'll be able to still show forth the glory of God, reflecting God to others so that my life becomes a frame for God to shine.
What about you friends? God can use your difficulties to point people to Him. And there's no greater thing in life than pointing people to Jesus.
Your pain is not about you. It's about showing forth the glory of God. I pray that this will change your perspective on your suffering today.
