When I first became a Christian I heard some scripture that seemed strange and back to front. Ones like these: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sister whenever you face trials of many kinds." James 1:2 and can you believe that Paul says "Not only that but we rejoice in our sufferings" Romans 5:3 ESV.
I am getting much closer to understanding how the authors could use such language as "rejoice" and "pure joy" in trials and pain after seeing what God has done in me over the past six or seven years.
I heard the term brutiful recently. It combines the terms ‘brutal’ and ‘beautiful’ and describes the beauty that comes from the brutal parts of the journey.
Because of our free will, we can chose to hold on to whatever we like in our life but when we go through trials it often bring us to a place of choice: to hold onto the things that bring pain or to work through the lies and misperceptions that are consciously or unconsciously functioning in our lives.
Over the past two years I have discovered Richard Rorh, a Franciscan friar ordained to the priesthood in the Roman Catholic Church (what a great title!). Having come from a very non-traditional background, 5-6 years ago I would never have guessed I’d be reading from a Franciscan friar ordained to the Catholic Church. But, he has given me the language to describe the things on my heart and opened up my perspective to see that there is amazing aspects of God to be seen anywhere and everywhere, even beyond my "own crowd".
In his book "The Divine Dance" Richard Rorh speaks of two (main) ways of breakthrough. "The path of wonder and the path of suffering." I will take a little liberty in explaining this and put quotes marks around his words.
The path of wonder is a choice to open ourselves up to the wonder and beauty of God’s goodness and bigness. Walking this path allows us to experience and hold onto what God has revealed. But sometimes (a lot of the time) we don't allow this to change our "common cruise control of thoughts and feelings" because doing so is uncomfortable and most often seems out of our control.
Another path and the one I will mostly focus on is the "path of suffering”. It brings to mind the scripture that "we rejoice in our sufferings" which can only be true in the trust that God not only can, but is, willing to work with us in these times to bring about good from the pain.
“Suffering is the only thing strong enough to break down your control systems, explanatory mechanisms, logical paradigms, desire to be in charge, carefully maintained sense of control.”
“God normally has to lead you to the limits of your private resources. Some event, person, or moral situation must force you to admit, I cannot do this in my present state.”
The beautiful thing about pain is that it grabs our attention. We feel something is wrong and have a chance to change. I do not believe that God inflicts the pain on us to achieve change but partners with us, in it, to bring about our best.
In my previous blog, I talked about "The heart of the invitation" and I described in my vision seeing myself as a little boy crying to my Father God. "I don't know how to do this". At that point in time I felt at a loss and it was at that point that God smiled at me and invited me to "Come to the Table".
When I was in Indonesia in October of 2016 and met a lady named Nicola. I asked her to share her story and she began to tell me one very familiar to mine. A time of change and brokenness led her into having a beautiful encounter with God where she saw herself as a little girl in tears while God invited her to "Come to the Table." I also got to see her minister out of this revelation and it was awesome. The picture was identical to mine in almost every way and we were both hugely encouraged to feel that what God had spoken to us as individuals was also being spoken to others.
As me and my beautiful wife, Trish, have discovered over the last decade of family life, ministry difficulties, financial struggles, career frustrations and so on is that we never walk in a time of pain, suffering or trial without an extended hand of our Father in Heaven into not just a better situation (we learn that this is not the most important item on the list) but that we are lead into a greater awareness of God’s goodness, vulnerability, humility and personal transformation. Meaning we live closer to, in a greater awareness of, and also more like, Christ himself.
Don't get tangled in the absolutes of suffering; weather it is first, second, third or the only way of transformation. But more than anything know that when we hit the wall the Lord is wanting to lead us into freedom, transformation and greater levels of trust and connection. The more we can trust this, the more we can stop fighting to just get out of the situation but instead allow transformation in us as we journey through it.
We are not to chase after suffering or pain! It is never our "job" as a leader to inflict it on anyone "for their benefit". Our job is to love, uplift and encourage. We aren't called to absorb or connect with all pain we see or encounter as we could never handle it but neither are we to close ourselves off from it entirely. In all things at all times we need to seek, connect with and trust our God to deliver us and transform us in times of pain and suffering.
I'll leave on this beautiful and challenging word from one of the apostles Paul.
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.”
