Suffering As Worship

I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel – Philippians 1:12 ESV


Many professing Christians like to hold God to His promises – and we are right in doing so. He is good and He is faithful to keep His Word. What many however, fail to realize is that not all of God’s promises are pleasant; and a particular promise is one we daily strive to avoid at all cost. The promise of suffering. God’s Word to us promises that we will suffer for His sake if we belong to Him. We the redeemed, are not only saved from the wrath of God, but He has saved us to service to Him – and that will include suffering because of our allegiance to Him and in order to make Him known.

“For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake – Philippians 1:29

What in the world does this mean when God’s Word tells us that for the sake of Christ, those who believe will suffer? And if it is true that all of life is worship – we either worship God or worship an idol – how does suffering become worship to God? Tough stuff!

The children of God have a two-fold problem with the notion of suffering as worship:

1.) We aren’t warned that suffering is a promise and will come,

and

2.) We aren’t taught that this suffering is ordained (brought on) by our utterly sovereign, loving God for personal good - and good beyond ourselves.

Champion and martyr for Christ’s sake, Dietrich Bonhoeffer aptly stated this essential gospel-truth, “When Christ calls a man, He bids him ‘Come and die’.” How the sovereignty of God intertwines with the sin and suffering of man is one of the most difficult dilemmas in our day, but the understanding of the absolute sovereignty of God is essential in suffering as worship to God. If there be one rogue molecule in the whole of existence that is outside of the providence and control of God, then God is not Who He says He is. All knowing. All powerful. Unchanging. Ever present. If He is not Who He says He is, then He is not a god worthy of allegiance and worship, for He would be a liar.

The Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms defines ‘worship’ as “The service of praise, adoration, thanksgiving, and petition directed toward God through action and attitude. Christian worship is Trinitarian in form as praise is offered to God through Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

“By the power of the Holy Spirit” is key – for without His indwelling and enabling, this worship of our great God is impossible. This is grace. We are only able to suffer as worship unto God by the Holy Spirit’s enabling power and grace. For the redeemed, God’s grace is sufficient in our weakness.

This sweet, God-given, enabling grace in Christian suffering is why Pastors John Piper and Matt Chandler and Mike Pohlman can boldly exhort us to “not waste our cancer” but rather to use it as a platform and an opportunity to tell people about our great God who is worthy of all praise and honor – even in suffering much. In this grace, the oncology department becomes the field to plant and nourish the gospel seed. God is the gospel.

This is why John Farese can be so content and purposeful as he lays in his bed with a crippling and utterly debilitating disease all the while testifying and affirming the Psalmist’s truth, “Those who fear You shall see me and rejoice, because I have hoped in Your Word. I know, O LORD, that Your rules are righteous, and that in faithfulness You have afflicted me. Let Your steadfast love comfort me according to Your promise to Your servant. – Psalm 119:74-76 ESV

This is why Horatio Spafford could pen the lyrics to one of our most treasured hymns after learning of the death of his four daughters as they crossed the Atlantic with their mother and proclaim to all It Is Well With My Soul.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2looking 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 12:1-2 ESV

For Christians, all of our life is a platform and an opportunity to proclaim the worth and beauty and treasure of Christ. There is purpose to our life – it is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever – to reflect Him as glorious and worthy even in our suffering so others might know Him and make much of Him and have joy.


That His Name May Be Exalted Among The Nations ~

Jill