Meditating on His Suffering Can Help Us

in Our Suffering
prepared by Daniel Keeran, MSW

A Christian Approach to Suffering

A Christian Approach to Personal Suffering:

Meditating on His Suffering Can Help Us in Our Suffering
It is an honour to suffer because we know it is a small bit of what Christ
suffered, and it is a way of sharing His suffering. Only Christianity provides
this approach to suffering because only Jesus Christ suffered and died for
humanity.
I was able to endure excruciating pain by thinking about the suffering of Jesus
on the cross and realizing my suffering was much less than His suffering. My
suffering was painful, and it was like His suffering in some way, yet my
suffering was so much less than His suffering. Strange as it sounds, I
welcomed the painful spasms as an opportunity to go to the cross and in a
way to join the suffering of Christ. I did not try to make the spasms happen,
but when they came, I could endure them as an honour to share even a small
part of what His suffering must have been like.
I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart has turned to wax; it has melted within me. My mouth is dried up
like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me
in the dust of death.
- Psalm 22:14-15
his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being and
his form marred beyond human likeness Isaiah 52:14
But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him. He was
oppressed and afflicted.
- Isaiah 53:6-7
Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My
Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will.
Matthew 26:39
And in His anguish, He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat became like
drops of blood falling to the ground.
Luke 22:44

Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those

who are being tempted.
- Hebrews 2:18
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory
that will be revealed in us.
- Romans 8:28
that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of
His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to
the resurrection from the dead.
Philippians 3:10
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of
mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we
may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with
which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in
Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If
we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it
is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same
sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as
you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.
- 2 Corinthians 1:3-7
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of
many kinds
- James 1:2
Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood
the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who
love him.
- James 1:12
And he said to all, If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and
take up his cross daily and follow me.
- Luke 9:23

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things
present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor
anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of
God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
- Romans 8:39
And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has
called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm,
strengthen, and establish you.
- 1 Peter 5:10
For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a
building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For
in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling
- 2 Corinthians 5:1-2
Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is
still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is
the church.
- Colossians 1:24
Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering
produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character
produces hope
- Romans 5:3-4