I am not an expert on suffering. I am 32 years old and I can say that I have suffered very little. Lately, I have been hearing a lot about the idea of “Suffering Well”. I really enjoy listening to the teaching of both John Piper and Matt Chandler. Both of those guys have great messages on suffering and what it means to suffer well for God’s glory.
This past Sunday at Cedarcrest, we finished up a series on Worship. The last message was called “Through Every Season” and focused specifically on Worshipping God through Suffering. The message was given by our Lead Pastor, George Wright, and as always…was packed with Scripture. That is one of the things I really appreciate about George’s teaching, he obviously spends tons of time in God’s Word.
The main point of the message was the realization that sometimes our suffering is not even for our own good or something that God is trying to do in us…sometimes it is for someone else to recognize God’s glory in the midst of our suffering. Sounds cheery don’t you think? Here are a few notes from George’s message:
“We must learn to think more deeply in our suffering and not simply feel more deeply in suffering.” Mark Driscoll
- Worship in the midst of suffering reminds us of what is important.
- Worship prevents us from using our suffering as an excuse for our sin. Philippians 4:11-13
- Worship in the midst of suffering takes the focus off of the suffering and places the focus back on Christ.
- Worship through suffering points people to Christ in a powerful way. Philippians 4:6-7
- Worship through suffering reveals God’s faithfulness.
- Worship in the midst of suffering gives hope to the hopeless.
- Worship through suffering always brings glory to God.
True Faith=Living for the glory of God and the good of others…no matter the cost.
Don’t waste your suffering. Acts 16:22-31