What Does Grace Look Like When You’re Suffering?
“We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part” 2 Corinthians 8: 1, 2.
Notice the evidence of God’s grace among these afflicted believers. In their severe trial they had overflowing joy. And in their extreme poverty they had rich generosity. To read the passage for context, click here.
What Does God’s Grace Look Like when You’re in Pain?
God’s grace to them is revealed and expressed not in deliverance from their trials. But in their ability to endure them in an honorable way. This isn’t to say that deliverance isn’t also an expression of His grace, because it surely is. But only after we experience it in our trials.
Being able to bear up under painful trials is an expression of God’s grace because it is only as we bear up under them with a right attitude that they will make us “perfect and complete lacking in nothing” (James 1: 2-4).
And is it only when we are perfect and complete that we will be blessed with every good thing and perfect gift. “No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly” Psalm 84: 11. (This word perfect doesn’t mean sinless perfection. It means we don’t have major patterns of sin in our life).
One of the greatest expressions of grace God can bestow upon us is to bless us with every good thing and perfect gift (withhold no good thing). And in order to do this we must be perfect and complete or mature. And for that to happen we must endure painful trials with a right heart.
Deliverance from Suffering Isn’t Always an Expression of Grace
Deliverance from the trial might relieve us of immediate pressure and stress, but it won’t accomplish the work of maturity necessary to be blessed with every good thing and perfect gift.
We just want immediate relief and don’t care about long-term anything in the midst of our trials. I know this from firsthand experience. Whereas, as a loving Father, God is concerned about our long-term wellbeing and fulfillment.
God’s precious and magnificent promises have conditions attached. And the condition basically is to be mature and complete. So those painful trials are enabling us to fulfill the condition in order to receive the fulfillment of the promises.
To read another post related to What Does Grace Look Like when You’re Suffering, see Strength for the Weary Soul in the Wilderness of Unmet Need.