Three responses

I've observed and been taught there are three responses to suffering in the Christian community:

1. Suffering becomes our identity and a pivotal point around which we live our lives. It defines how we see the world and what we believe (or don't believe) about God and His promises. It typically results in bitterness. We're stuck in the past and what happened to us and we miss the beauty of today.

2. Suffering is minimized. Deep hurt is pushed under the rug and ignored; bruises and wounds are not treated. This typically results in feeling numb to the life around us, or anger expressed in ways that make no sense (but really, it does make sense). 

3. Suffering leads to redemptive comfort. We call suffering what is it -- it sucks, it's painful, we hate it, we want things to be different. But we trust and hope in His purposes through it all. We rest in the deep peace that His comfort brings. We know that Hebrews 4:14-16 is true. We acknowledge the ugly truth of the past, but we look to the future with hope.

the term "redemptive comfort" comes from the book Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands by Paul Tripp

BSF

I've been going to Bible Study Fellowship since January. It's a structured study of the Bible and brilliant in it's model of taking us through the passage four times in four different ways. I know and understand the passage much better once I'm done with the four different study steps. I guess I need to hear something four times before it really sticks!

Below is a collection of principles coming out of the lectures over the past couple of months (lessons 14 to 24). Some are simple and profound, some new, some hard:

• It is impossible to have relationship with God apart from Jesus.
• Upon confession of sin, believers are cleansed and purified through the blood of Jesus. 
• Believers are set apart for God, and how we choose to live matters. 
• Consecration to God means being set apart for His work; when your work is done, He takes you home. 
• To worship and serve God His way brings joy. 
• Our actions are motivated by the attitude of our heart. 
• God's people must still train their minds to remember Him daily.
• God is holy and cannot tolerate sin in His presence. 
• Jesus was sacrificed once to take away the sins of all who believe in Him. 
• God's instructions are designed to bring Him glory and to benefit others. 
• In God's economy, obedience brings blessing and disobedience brings punishment. 
• God keeps His word, and so should His people. 
• Faith in God is what conquers complaining. 
• Faith in God is proved by trusting in His provision and going to Him with our struggles. 
• Sooner or later, God will vindicate His faithful servants. 
• As God's people, we are called to measure our giants against God and not ourselves. 
• True faith is man's weakness leaning on God's strength. 
• Continued disobedience only brings more trouble. 
• The temptation to sin is no respecter of position, age or spiritual maturity. 
• Let God pick your battles for you. 
• God's people can trust Him to be faithful, even when we are not. 
• God delights in responding to the prayers of His people. 
• Eternal life and the security it brings can only be found in Jesus; it is not something that can be earned. 
• God is faithful and always delivers on His promises. 
• God cannot be manipulated. 
• No one can hinder the plans of God. 
• Idols are anything people use as a substitute for God.