“Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Romans 5:3).
Suffering is necessary for spiritual growth.
I know. I don’t like that either. But the thing is you can’t grow as a Christian without suffering because there is a lesson that we can only learn through and from suffering.
When I was a pastor in the Dallas area, the congregations I served were mostly younger families. They were almost all working professionals. While people in their twenties and thirties are great, there is something that causes most of their faith to be shallow. Most of the folks that are presbyterian types tend to be white-collar working folk. That means that most are college educated, fairly wealthy, and have some social standing.
Those three things: education, money, and social standing are terrible for spiritual maturity. Those three things in particular tend to breed arrogance. For most people in their twenties and thirties, they haven’t experienced yet anything that their education, money, and social status can’t fix. Most haven’t suffered yet. They haven’t yet experienced a parent or a spouse or a child dying of cancer where their education, money, and social standing can’t do a darn thing to fix their loved one dying.
It’s only when we encounter something that we cannot handle that we truly learn what it means to turn to God and trust God. And it’s in these moments that are beyond us – beyond our ability to control – that we learn God is more than our sufferings.
There are lessons that can only be learned through suffering.
Suffering is a necessary ingredient for spiritual growth.
Praxis: Faith in Action 