Suffering with others

I have been in a wonderful season, a season of joy where God is making things beautiful in His perfect timing. For this reason, I have found myself dancing and praising unconsciously, just giving thanks. However, this morning while dancing and praising for the good things, God revealed to me that I need to sometimes pause for a while, look around me and be an encouragement to them that are in harsh seasons of their life. You see, for reasons I can’t really explain, I have lately been meeting people who are suffering pain resulting from issues such as death of loved ones, sicknesses, breaking marriages, family wrangles and many issues. However, although I have sympathized, I have not done anything else beyond that to help ease the pain that they are going through. It is for this reason therefore that God reminded me that I needed to go an extra mile, that is, to share in their suffering.

By this God reminded me that I need to stand with them, listen to them, encourage them and pray for them. I believe this is what God meant when He said that I need to suffer with them. This reminded me of the story of Job and his family and friends, when God decided to allow Job to be tested for His glory. Instead of encouraging him, his wife decided to ask Job to curse God and die (makes me doubt her love for him) while his friends condemned him saying that he was suffering because of his sins. However, I learn that God himself spoke to the friends and told them that His wrath was upon them because instead of suffering with Job, they decided to speak evil of him.

I know many cases in the bible where people suffered for their sins example; Achan, David, Ananias and his wife and a few others; however, I have learnt that our suffering is not always because of our sin. Just like God uses our good times to glorify Himself, he can choose painful moments to glorify Himself to and make us better. The bible in James 1:2-4, says that we can never be tested beyond our abilities. It goes ahead to say that our testing develops patience which leads us to become complete, lacking nothing. How wonderful that is. I have learnt that instead of ignoring people in their suffering, I can use such verses to encourage them.

God commands us to encourage others daily (Hebrews 3:13), therefore, we must obey. I have therefore decided that instead of ignoring them, I should listen, encourage and even pray for them. Hug those that can be hugged and wipe tears of those that I have the grace to. I should help them realize that their season of pain will end and that above all, there is one who understands it because He too went through it (Hebrews 4:15) and that He will give them grace to emerge victorious. I therefore encourage us to do the same, to suffer with those who suffer in obedience to God and as a way of extending our love to them.

God bless you and keep growing in Him.