As June Hunt concludes Chapter 11 of How to Forgive, she discusses the faith factor as it relates to dealing with suffering. Ms. Hunt states that whether we succeed in turning blame and bitterness into healing and hope “depends on our willingness to exercise our faith in God, to trust Him, even when we must draw upon every ounce of energy and hold on to the thinnest of threads.”
June notes that sometimes we need to take the apostle Paul’s comforting words of Romans 8:28 by faith:
“We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”
It is possible we may never understand God’s higher purpose for our suffering or get to see our pain bear fruit. As the author points out, that’s easy enough to say when you’re at a safe difference from suffering. In other words, it’s easier to recite Romans 8:28 than to apply it.
Ms. Hunt emphasizes the importance of our attitude toward God when we’re in the midst of suffering:
“Blaming God for our suffering looks back and focuses on our pain. Trusting God looks forward and focuses on His plan.”
Diamonds, the hardest know natural substance in the world, take years of intense pressure and high temperatures for the carbon to transform itself into a beautiful, valued gem. Similarly, the Master Jeweler preplanned how He will use the heat and pressure of injustice in your life- unless the rugged rocks of resentment in your heart interfere with His handiwork, stalling the process of transformation. June adds:
“As you dig deep to remove those rocks and hand them to the Redeemer, He will cut and craft them into dazzling diamonds. They then become a shining testimony of His purpose through pain- no longer do they remain diamonds in the rough.”
Today’s question: How does the faith factor support your response to the pain and suffering of your vocation loss? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Forgiving ourselves”
