Unmerited Suffering
Suffering is unavoidable. For me, it was infertility, constant anxiety and depression, the chronic illnesses that wouldn’t let me live in peace. It was because Jesus, who undeservedly endured the pain and suffering of my sins, that my suffering became a footnote of His greater story. As the blood of Christ dripped down his forehead, my pain and suffering saw an end. His suffering was redemptive.
Dr. Martin Luther King, whose life we celebrated in January, believed that when we suffer undeservedly, we join with Jesus. He believed it was a mark of the Gospel.
An Example to Follow
King, in the midst of violent acts of hate, had but one way to approach his suffering. He wrote,
“As my sufferings mounted I soon realized that there were two ways that I could respond to my situation: either to react with bitterness or seek to transform the suffering into a creative force. I decided to follow the latter course… I have lived these last few years with the conviction that unearned suffering is redemptive… moments through which I have passed over… have also drawn me closer to God.”
Redemptive Suffering
I never asked for suffering, didn’t want it. Some may even say I did nothing to deserve it, but it still came. Yet my trials have invited me to see the greater picture. This was so powerful to understand. You see, through the unmerited suffering that Jesus had to bear, God was doing something much greater. Jesus’ suffering was indeed redemptive.
Today, in whatever trial you may be going through, even if you don’t fully understand it, Jesus is working all of it out for your good. (Rom. 8:28)
I have found my worth and identity in the One who is able to do anything but fail. The one who chose to suffer because of his great love for me. The woman I am today is because suffering has not broken me, but instead, God has formed it into a creative force and still promises that what the enemy meant for my destruction, He will use for my benefit. (Gen. 50:20)
Today, I stand with Dr. King. I honor his faith, his courage and his mark on this great nation. Today, I choose to embrace God’s goodness and be a creative force for healing. I hope you’ll join me and use your hurt to help heal those around you, too.
