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1 Corinthians 10:13
Even though what we suffer can, at times, weigh us down tremendously and threaten to overwhelm us, approaching it in faith provides a couple of answers. "Temptation" should not be limited to simply an encouragement to break one of the Ten Commandments. While that is included, there are other temptations, such as those to let down in our walk with God or to jettison the faith, hope, and love we have been given. When pressure mounts, we are often tempted to compromise—not to do what we know to be right and good—to get some relief. At times, the Greek word translated as "temptation" can imply "adversity," meaning suffering! Yet, as Paul explains, God will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear, especially if He is supplying the spiritual strength to bear it. Either He will make us stronger to bear up under the adversity, or He will make a way of escape. If we approach our adversity with faith, we can trust His intervention on our behalf. Beyond faith in the moment, a long-range view will also help us keep suffering in the right perspective. Simply put, it will not last forever, and what God has in store for us in the resurrection is far superior to what we are experiencing now. The more real God and His promises are to us, the more meaning Paul's encouragement in II Corinthians 4:16-18 will hold: So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. (English Standard Version) Yes, we are called to suffer—even seemingly unjustly at times—but all of these experiences serve a good and definitive purpose: our becoming glorified members of the God Family.
David C. Grabbe
A Look at Christian Suffering (Part Three)
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