You don’t need me to point out the fact...there is an abundance of ‘suffering’ that takes place in this world today. When the question often arises as to ‘why so much suffering’, we usually see the shrugged shoulders raised followed by the anemic response of: “well...we do live in a fallen world”. Even in the church world, in those small spiritual communities we adjoin ourselves to or have been raised in, there is no shortage of suffering amongst the believers there, as well. Suffering, I might add, that takes on many forms, and comes in all different shapes and sizes in the manner in which it affects (or afflicts) people.

But is it possible that much of the suffering that we see and/or experience could be filed under the heading of ‘needless’ suffering? I’m sure we all have experienced that for ourselves, and witnessed as countless others....endure ‘suffering’ that could have been avoided; am I right? I mean, after all, even God said His own people were ‘destroyed for a lack of knowledge’. (Hosea 4:6). And for the record, let’s use a simple definition for the word ‘suffer’ as found in any dictionary: to experience or be subjected to (something bad or unpleasant).

I was walking out of the gym last week after my daily workout and I was ‘feeling every bit of it’. We hear that old phrase tossed around of ‘no pain, no gain’, which we all understand the premise behind; but I kid you not...my 64 year old body does not enjoy what I have been doing to it for the past 7 months. And yet....I know it has been ‘good’ for me. But when it comes to 'suffering' - Is it possible we have been guilty of ‘lumping together’ – ‘all suffering’, for which we have no reason as to explain why...we suffer? Or is there not two kinds of ‘suffering’ that we can or will experience in this life. It can be applied to so many different scenarios that I’m sure we all can relate to.

There is a ‘suffering’ that comes with ‘denying’ ourselves of things we may want or crave or lust for, that we know are pleasurable and satisfying in the short term, but long term are bad for us (Heb. 11:25). Be it spending habits or eating habits, etc...we just know that exercising more ‘restraint’ in those areas will pay off in the long-run with lasting benefits. Then I thought about athletes who play in physically demanding sports. They ‘choose’ to suffer as they put in the required time conditioning their bodies in an orderly and safe manner, usually through intense workout sessions. But why do they do this? - So when it is time to perform, they have a better chance of avoiding that needless... suffering that can result from being out of shape, and in some cases, end their careers quickly. Yes, I’m aware that even healthy and well prepared athletes still encounter those unexpected setbacks, but just follow along with me here for the sake of the illustration.

You have to admit, much ‘needless suffering’ is a result of consequences due to our ‘actions’. Am I allowed to use the word ‘sin’ here? Why are we so quick to dismiss verses like John 5:14, 1 Cor. 5:5;  11:30-32 & Gal. 6:6-7?

The point I am getting at here today is directed to those who may be suffering needlessly, because of a ‘lack of knowledge’, as we saw pointed out in Hosea 4:6. Yes, the Bible does teach and strongly suggest that we ‘believers’ have been ‘called to suffer’, even as ‘Christ suffered for us’. (1 Pet. 4:1; 2:21). But this is where I think much confusion exists. The type of ‘suffering’ we have been called to, as we ‘take up our cross’ and follow Jesus, has more to do with when we ‘deny ourselves’ in putting to death our fleshly , carnal nature. And that really is...’a thing’, you know. When we partake of the ‘sufferings’ Jesus taught us to embrace, it produces some pretty amazing results, which you can read about in 1 Pet. 4:1-2. (What did he suggest we may be 'done with' there?)  Join me tomorrow?