Having kids allows you to regularly catch glimpses of Biblical truth coming alive in new and refreshing ways. It has for me and I enjoy sharing them on here. The other day our three year old, Anaya, said something that was absolutely shocking. Something that I would imagine has only been vocalized by three year olds on extremely rare occasions. So what did she say? She said, "I think we need to clean up the toys." Not a common phrase in our household coming out of the mouth of our children. However, she had a reason why she wanted to clean up toys. She wanted to clean up the toys because she had just stepped on one of them and hurt her foot! Any parent knows the annoying and painful experience of stepping on a toy, and now Anaya had experience it and that experience made her want to do something she usually does not want to do, clean up! As I was thinking about her response my mind quickly jumped to thinking about suffering and God.
Suffering is one of those universal experiences that we all have. Everyone of us suffers from time to time in life. Suffering can be the result of a variety of different factors, but suffering is universal, and that is why it is such a prominent theme throughout Scripture. In the New Testament when suffering is spoken of it almost always comes with a promise that God is going to bring something good out of the suffering. The suffering itself is not good, as Anaya experienced, but it did bring about a good change in her wanting to clean up toys. That is one of the good things about suffering. It changes us for the better. Suffering teaches us that we are not strong enough. That we are not good enough. That we are not smart enough. That we do not have it all together. That we don't have all the answers. That we can't do this alone. Suffering teaches us all those things, and much more. When we realize those things all of a sudden we become people who are no longer depend upon our own resources, but instead depend on the unlimited resources of God. Which is why Paul was able to say with such confidence in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, "And He has said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.' Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong." Suffering is never good, but what God brings out of suffering for those who trust in Him is always good!
