Silent Suffering: Finding God in Our Pain

Hey church fam! Easter weekend was FIRE! Almost a thousand people showed up between Friday and Sunday, with 37 people coming to know Jesus for the first time and 16 recommitting their lives to Him. That's not about numbers—it's about lives being changed by Jesus Christ.

You know what drew people to Jesus this Easter? His suffering. We got to see just a glimpse of what Jesus went through on the cross, and it connected with people because, let's be real, we ALL suffer too.

Suffering Is Inevitable, Misery Is Optional

Let's talk about Job. This dude was blameless, upright, feared God, and had everything going for him—family, property, respect. Then Satan shows up and challenges God, saying Job only loves God because life is good. God allows Satan to test Job, and Job loses EVERYTHING—his cattle, his children, his health.

But here's the kicker: Job refused to give up faith in God. Even when his wife told him to "curse God and die," Job held tight.

Some of y'all are going through it right now. I wonder sometimes if I'm gonna have Job-like faith when stuff hits the fan. Sometimes I get it right; other times people around me will tell you I blow it.

Bad Theology Makes People Suffer More

What makes me angry is when I see Christians post stupid stuff on social media when tragedy strikes. Like when tornadoes hit Oklahoma and some preacher tweets, "Judgment has come." Man, that's bad theology!

God isn't sitting up there waiting to smite us. He's not blasting evil everywhere. If He did, where would He stop? Pretty soon I wouldn't be here, and you wouldn't be here either.
God got our attention through love, not pain. He had to take the pain on Himself to do it. Remember when Jesus went to raise Lazarus? When He saw Mary and Martha weeping, He didn't lecture them or get mad that they questioned Him. He WEPT with them.

How You Suffer Shows Who You Really Are

People who are truly suffering don't live in misery. But those who are miserable make the people around them suffer.
You're either gonna be someone who suffers with humility or someone who lives in misery. And how we suffer connects us to each other. It can either help someone toward their promise or keep them in their pain.
Remember this: In our sorrow, we can see God moving. It doesn't take away the suffering, but it reminds us that God's love is with us. We can stand up in the face of tragedy and not just get by, but THRIVE.

Life Application:

1. Check your circle - Do you have people who lift you up through pain or keep you in it?
2. Be silent - Sometimes the best thing to do for someone who's suffering is just sit with them.
3. Ask "how" not "why" - Don't focus on why you're suffering; focus on how you're going to suffer well.
4. Turn your suffering into testimony - Your story of overcoming can be hope for someone else.

Jesus never promised a life without pain. He promised us peace and that we would overcome. So let's suffer well, church. Let's show the world who we really believe in by how we get back up.

Pastor Kasey Goins
Associate Pastor