The word suffer, or suffering, is not a pleasant one to our ears. We live in a world and society where the idea of suffering is something that should be avoided or mitigated. Churches and Christians go to great lengths to assuage and care for the suffering(s) of others. Whole ministries and missions are created so that we may fight the oppression of suffering within our world, such as food banks, halfway houses, drug rehabilitation clinics, orphanages, etc. That is not necessarily the type of suffering I would like to address today. Instead, I want to talk about the suffering that comes about by following Jesus. There is the stark and inescapable reality that suffering is often a byproduct of simply being a Christian. This type of experience should not necessarily be met with overjoyed excitement, but it should be acknowledged as a byproduct of our Christian life.

Jesus said these words in the Gospel of John, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” Here we see that Jesus is not suggesting that we will face trials and tribulations, he is guaranteeing that this will happen! But he also points out where that tribulation will come from: “the world.” Now, the phrase “the world” that Jesus uses translates from the original Greek to, “government order, world affairs, the aggregate of things earthly.” So, Jesus is not saying that creation as a whole will bring tribulation upon his followers, but that those whose sole focus is upon earthly affairs will bring such trials.

Think about it in this way, as Christians we know that our focus should be upon the betterment of our world through the teachings of Jesus Christ. We know that our lives should be a reflection of Christ’s ministry and a beacon to others so that they may be drawn to such light and experience Christ for themselves. We fight the challenge of trying to exemplify Christ in our lives while also being very human and flawed. This is the burden that we carry with the help of Jesus, but that is not necessarily suffering, it is more of a privilege to share that struggle with our Savior. I would propose a hard truth, that if one person, church, or community is truly living a life that is guided and blessed by God, then tribulation, trial, and suffering will be one of the obstacles they must face. However, it will not stop the growth of disciples and Christ’s ministry, because God’s plan can never be thwarted by the way of the world.

Truthfully, the suffering of Christians for their faith is a byproduct of righteous living amongst powers and authorities that cannot or will not accept, or understand such allegiance. We can assume that to live as Christ lived, i.e. with universal love and grace, alongside adherence to God’s Word, we will inevitably come into conflict with the powers of this world. The ways of “earthly affairs” can only see the immediate and instant gratification of the self. To be allegiant to Christ Jesus means to set oneself aside for the sake of one’s neighbor. Those are two completely different approaches to life and the ways of this world will not accept those who seek to submit to Jesus as opposed to the powers and plans of those who perceive themselves as in charge. Thus, the natural result of Holy living is to endure suffering in the name of Jesus Christ.

This suffering can come in many shapes and sizes and affects each person, church, or community differently. But the one constant is that such sufferings are accompanied by God’s abundant blessings and equipment for future ministry. It is my fervent belief that a sign of doing the will of God is that you face obstacles from the outside world and obstacles from the evil found throughout humanity. To serve our God, who is the ultimate good, means that we will face resistance from those who do not wish to see God’s glory ultimately prevail. If you as a Christian, or a church, find yourselves facing obstacles to your path, and yet at the same time your ministry continues to thrive and grow, then the suffering you are endearing at that moment is the by-product of faithful service to God. Christ himself endured the suffering of the cross and the pain of the lash, but it did not stop his resurrection, it held no sway over his triumph over death. The Will and Way of God can never be stopped, though the world may try. As Christians, it is our job to endure the sufferings of faith and not let it derail our greater purpose, which is to bring about God’s

Kingdom upon the earth and be a disciplined movement of the Holy Spirit.

When the Apostle Peter wrote to the Christian community in the Book of 1st Peter, he called upon them to “Suffer for what is right, for you are blessed.” The church and its disciples should abandon the pursuit of

comfort and tranquility, instead adopting a mission of ragged ministry. This is a ministry that will go into the deepest and darkest depths of human despair and draw out hope and reclamation in the name of Jesus. It is this type of ministry that will see the Word of God lived out in bright fashion amongst dark places. But such light will draw the accusations, falsehoods, and animosity of the powers that cannot capitalize off its results. Any church that endures only constant praise and glutenous prosperity, is a church that has become complacent and toothless in its stand against the works of the enemy and is no threat to the forces of evil.

As Christians and churches may embrace what James, the Brother of Jesus, wrote when he said, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. Our momentary sufferings in the name of Jesus are merely the outcries of wicked forces that know, in the end, Christ will have the final victory.

Victory in Jesus my brothers and sisters.

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Pastor Mike McVey

Minister – First United Methodist Church, Fairfield TX

ACS Chaplain – United States Coast Guard, Station Galveston TX

Cell: 919-935-2513

Email: pastormike@fumcfairfield.org