Long-suffering is a word I’ve often seen in scripture. As a knee-jerk reaction I think it’s normal to feel uncomfortable about that word. It doesn’t fit well with the all too common misconception that Jesus is supposed to provide us nothing but peace, love, comfort, and prosperity. As crazy as it may sound, what I have come to realize is that suffering can actually be a good thing.
Shying away from discomfort, and opting for an easy way out instead of persevering, is an excellent way to become weak. In order to become physically stronger you literally have to tear down your muscle fibers through strength-building exercises, then allow enough recovery time so they can heal effectively. About a week later the muscles are now a little bit stronger, larger, more defined, and more durable than before. The results are absolutely dependent upon just how much the muscle fibers were broken down during the exercise session. This is why the best weight lifters adopt a mentality where they embrace the pain, and sometimes even enjoy it. To them, they understand that the willingness to go through temporary suffering is not only rewarding, but that avoiding it would result in weakness and softness.
I think God allows us to experience hard times to shape us. Like a weight lifter we can choose to embrace those moments with a disciplined focus on Christ, or we can choose to be lazy and just hope that things work out. Either way we’re going to be shaped, whether we like it or not.
What I really find to be the most interesting fact about growing the strength of muscles, is the importance of rest and recovery. The muscles only need about 30-60 minutes of concentrated effort to break down, then they need about 7 days of rest and healthy nutrition to heal. Fortunately for us our Lord is the perfect healer. He brings death to life, and restores brokenness that no man or no thing could ever repair.
So even when you experience suffering, remember that there is always healing and rest in Jesus.