Pastor Wayne Cordeiro
January 11, 2004 - W0402

ìÖit is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrongî (1Pet. 3:17).

SUFFERING IS A PART OF LIFE.

Itís natural to hate pain and we sometimes would do anything to avoid it. Yet even the beginning of life, (the birth process) is filled with suffering. Suffering is inevitable and we will all experience suffering. Still why is suffering necessary?  Well, it is a Ö

?        REQUIREMENT FOR MATURITY.

ì..I can really know ChristÖ I can learn what it means to suffer with Him, sharing in His death, so that, somehow, I can experience the resurrection from the dead!î (Phil. 3:10 ñ 11).

Not all that feels good is right. As we learn and practice discipline, we will also acquire a will for suffering. Thatís right! Turning from temptation or our desire to strike out at someone who has offended us is difficult and yes, even painful. However, choosing suffering for the right reasons leads to growth, discipline, and eventual redemption.

There are many myths surrounding suffering. Some Christians may believe that a good parent will do whatever it takes to remove suffering from his or her child. However, if we protect our child from suffering, we may actually stunt their growth. Others believe that if our faith is strong, we are immune from suffering and everything should just come our way. However, suffering is a fact of life and a requirement for becoming more like Jesus. 

ì..I will show him how much he must suffer for My nameís sakeî (Acts 9:16).

In other words, if God is to bring us to a point where we understand life, suffering is something we must somehow embrace. Suffering can be your mentor or your tormenter.  It is how we deal with our capacity for suffering that will determine our growth. Now we may suffer for a number of reasons. We may be suffering because we 1) made poor decisions and are now suffering the consequences. Or 2) we made the right decisions ñ i.e., like Joseph, Nelson Mandela, or Sister Theresa.

Now if you are suffering, donít assume itís because you have disappointed God and fallen out of His favor. You may be suffering for doing Godís work in an evil world. God may have a larger purpose in mind. Remember that suffering develops our character by teaching us to have faith in God. It is being mindful that God is doing what is best for us and trusting that He would not abandon us. He has proven this through the example of Jesus Christ.  Jesus took the sins of mankind to the cross. And the Lord teaches us how to redeem something negative into something good. 

QUESTION: Have you followed Godís instruction and suffered? Still suffering?  What are you learning about yourself and your relationship with God?  In what ways are these experiences bringing you closer to God?

ìA pupil is not above his teacherÖ If they persecuted Me, they will persecute youÖbut everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacherî (Luke 6:40 paraphrased).

God made each of us a conversion machine ñ with the ability to turn bad into good and take ruined lives to be redeemed. Why? Itís because God wants us to be more like Him. Then if we are going to suffer from doing wrong and right, does that mean we donít have a choice? Well, although suffering is inevitable, we do have a choice. In fact the Bible says, ìÖit is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrongî. (1 Pet. 3:17) We have a choice to suffer for doing right. Itís like God is saying He will award us suffering because it is good for our maturity, growth, depth, and faith. It will help us to become a representative of Him. Besides that, suffering burns away our outer coating and helps us develop the inner core to look more like Him.

So God instills in all of his creations a conversion process. Take for instance, the putrid ponds. The water evaporates, turns into clouds, rains, drops to the earth, filters into the rocks, and then becomes drinkable water. Trees convert carbon monoxide into oxygen.  God can even take a man going the wrong way and convert his soul.

So we are people of conversion and He made us in His image. And the world needs to see more of Jesus and less of us. Yet how do we become the conversion creation that God intended us to be? Here are three guidelines to help us convert suffering into success. The first is toÖ

1.      COMMIT TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT.

When someone insults us, donít be tempted to exchange insult for insult. Instead convert insults into blessings. Since suffering is a part of life, the choice is that we can suffer in the wrong way or in the right way. So suffering according to the will of God is the right way. In fact, the Bible says, ìGod can work all things together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purposeî. (Rom. 8:28) Faith teaches us to trust the process of our life and those of us who do will find that He will convert suffering into success, death into life, and hopelessness into hope.

ì...keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shameî (1Pet. 3:16).

ìTherefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is rightî (1Pet. 4:29).

It really doesnít matter who is right. In fact, sometimes what is right is to just let it go and not try to figure out who is right. You see Jesus was right on the cross and could have called a legion of angels, but instead He said, ìFather forgive them for they no not what they are doingî. And because He did what was right, redemption took place. So make sure that you suffer according to the will of God. Commit to what is right and thenÖ

2.      DONíT FEAR THE PROVING GROUND OF FAITH.

ìIn this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christî (1Pet 1:6-7).

Even more precious than gold is proven faith. How do we get proven faith? It is faith that is tested by God. Like a car that has been tested and proven to be reliable when pushed to capacity, we too are pushed to capacity to prove our faith. 

I remember once when I went through some testing. I was a Pastor in Hilo and had just purchased a used van for the church. One of our members came to my office and questioned me about my decision and whether or not I had permission from the board. He continued to badger me with question after question and accused me of not being accountable to anyone and just doing my own thing. Well this went on for about 20 minutes. And though I used the right religious phrases and words, I eventually lost my temper and said a ìbad wordî telling him to leave. And when he left I said, ìOh God, I really messed upî.

You see, I had enough religious phrases and words, but when the fire tested my core, it found that underneath it all, I wasnít genuine. It was still me covered by religious layers. In fact my prayer was that people wouldnít come through enough of the layers to find out that the real me would abandon my faith and do whatever I wanted to. And the Lord spoke to my heart and said when it gets down to the core, He wants me to have a proven faith because it is more precious than gold. And thatís when we will be able to convert suffering to success.

So suffering is necessary. Thus we must commit to doing what is right and not be afraid of the proving ground of faith. It will happen to every one of us. And when it is done correctly, thatís when we can convert suffering into success. But what if we mess up? Then here is the final point.

3.      GROW QUICKLY FROM SETBACKS.

Weíll all have setbacks, but if we grow from it, weíll learn. He wonít discard us. Instead, He will redesign and re-stabilize us. ìAnd He has said to me, ëMy grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.í Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.  Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christís sake; for when I am weak, then I am strongî (2 Cor. 12:9-10).

In other words, when the Lord takes away all those layers and we think all we have is us, thatís when the power of God moves in. And when there is a clear resounding because it is clear to the bone, then God can convert suffering into success.

Remember that although suffering is a part of life; donít try to avoid it because it is a requirement for maturity. Therefore, keep in mind to commit to doing what is right, to not be afraid of the proving ground of faith, and to grow quickly from setbacks. This will help us to indeed convert our suffering into success. Let suffering stimulate in you a yearning to rise above the current circumstances and find a deeper wisdom that brings you closer to God. Once this is accomplished, when God has redeemed you, then He will use you to convert. First be converted then become converters.

QUESTION: What does it mean that we will never become strong unless we can become weak and cry out to God?  What experiences have you had that are examples of this?

QUESTION: What challenges that you face today if approached correctly will be opportunities for success in the future?  What lessons can be gleaned from these challenges?  In what ways do you see Jesusí teachings applied to your circumstances? 

FINAL QUESTION: In what ways will you use todayís sermon to change your response to pain and suffering? How might you use it to help others? 

Thank you again to Phyllis Unebasami for this week's summary, a woman who serves with a joyful heart!