The Big Idea
The Big Idea
An Introduction to Be Patient
by Ken Baugh
Pain is the universal experience of all human beings. Everyone experiences pain at some point in their lives, and during that season of suffering, they often ask the same question: “Why? Why, God? Why now? What did I do to deserve this?” These are haunting questions that echo within our minds and find no real answer.
To be honest, sometimes we bring seasons of suffering on ourselves, don’t we? If we run a red light, we’ll get a ticket. If we fudge on our taxes and get caught, we’ll be audited and fined. If we neglect our teeth for years, we’ll get cavities and gingivitis and need root canals. These periods of suffering are self-inflicted, brought on solely by our own carelessness and neglect.
However, there are times when pain kicks the door down in our lives unexpectedly and seemingly undeservedly, and we find ourselves face down on the pavement with no clue as to why. This is exactly where we find Job. One moment he’s a healthy, wealthy, successful businessman and dedicated father. The next moment bandits have raided, pillaged his assets, and destroyed his property. All his children are killed, and his body becomes infected with horrible boils and open, festering wounds. And Job has no idea why. He hasn’t done anything wrong. He hasn’t sinned against God; he hasn’t cheated on his wife or abused his children. He’s done nothing to deserve any of this.
And then, to make matters worse, it seems like all this pain and suffering is the result of some weird bet that God has made with Satan. (See Job 1:6–19; 2:1–9.) Yet, in spite of all of this tragedy, the Bible says, “Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing” (Job 1:22 NIV). Job was a man of great endurance and patience in the midst of intense suffering, and I believe that we can learn to be same if we follow his example. Let’s see what we can learn about suffering from Job’s example.
The very first thing that Job did after he lost his wealth and his children was to worship God: “At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised’” (Job 1:20–21 NIV). Job recognized that everything he had was a gift from God. God had given him his family, all his material possessions, even his success. And Job believed that if God gave, He could also take away. At this point Job didn’t question God. He recognized His sovereignty in his life, and he fell to the ground in worship. Job worshipped God in the midst of his physical suffering and said to his wife: “Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” (Job 2:10 NIV). Job was able to maintain his confidence in God’s sovereignty in the midst of adversity. This confidence gave him incredible patience. If you want to be able to patiently endure seasons of suffering, you must recognize, like Job, that God is sovereign in your life and that He is working everything out according to His plan for your life.
Second, if you want to be able to patiently endure suffering like Job, don’t ask God to explain Himself. Job was human like the rest of us, and he was angry with God at times for allowing these tragic events to occur in his life. But his trust in God never wavered. The ability to trust God in the midst of suffering is a difficult task, yet one of the things that helps me is to remember God’s faithfulness to me in the past. Today I can look back at times of suffering in my own life that happened years ago and see God’s faithfulness throughout. I couldn’t see it as clearly at the time, but today I have a much better understanding of it all. This ability to see God’s faithfulness in the past has helped me wait patiently on God in present difficulties, knowing that He is faithful. I know He’s working in the midst of this current crisis just like He has in the past, and I need to trust Him.
I like how Brennan Manning addresses this issue of trust:
Unwavering trust is a rare and precious thing because it often demands a degree of courage that borders on the heroic. When the shadow of Jesus’ cross falls across our lives in the form of failure, rejection, abandonment, betrayal, unemployment, loneliness, depression, the loss of a loved one; when we are deaf to everything but the shriek of our own pain; when the world around us suddenly seems a hostile, menacing place—at those times we may cry out in anguish, “How could a loving God permit this to happen?” At such moments the seeds of distrust are sown. It requires heroic courage to trust in the love of God no matter what happens to us. (Ruthless Trust [New York: HarperCollins, 2000], 3–4)
Times of intense pain and suffering remove all the shallow, superficial clichés of “Sure, I trust God.” To still love God and remain fully devoted to Him in the midst of suffering, to love Him even when you think He is unfair and callous is true love, true devotion, pure trust.
Finally, if you want to be able to patiently endure suffering like Job, keep your eyes focused on eternity. When I am in a season of suffering, it’s far too easy for my pain to consume my entire attention, so I need to force myself to remember, as difficult as this season may be now, heaven is coming. In the midst of His suffering, Jesus was able to endure patiently because He focused on the joy that He knew was coming. The author of Hebrews writes,
Keep your eyes on Jesus, our leader and instructor. He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy he knew would be his afterwards; and now he sits in the place of honor by the throne of God. If you want to keep from becoming fainthearted and weary, think about his patience as sinful men did such terrible things to him. (12:2–4 TLB)
Yes, God allows terrible things to happen in our lives, but during these times we must remember that we are not alone. Many have traveled the road of suffering before us like Job, like Jesus, and have been able to patiently endure.
One final thought. I believe that God allows seasons of suffering to occur in the life of every believer to test not only the reality of their faith but also the extent of their love for Him. You can’t fake your love while in pain. What I really believe in my heart and how I really feel about God and whether or not I really trust Him all become evident through seasons of suffering. The ultimate proof of my love for God is demonstrated by absolute trust and surrender. These can only be proved true in the crucible of suffering. When you can say “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him” (Job 13:15 NIV), you know that your love for God is real.
I pray that as you read through this commentary, you will gain a deeper understanding of who God is and how much He loves you—and how deeply He desires you to love Him back with all of your heart, with all of your mind, and with all of your strength, no matter what happens.
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Dr. Wiersbe’s commentaries have been a source of guidance and strength to me over the many years that I have been a pastor. His unique style is theologically sound but not overly academic. He explains the deep truths of Scripture in a way that everyone can understand and apply. Whether you’re a Bible scholar or a brand-new believer in Christ, you will benefit, as I have, from Warren’s insights. With your Bible in one hand and Dr. Wiersbe’s commentary in the other, you will be able to unpack the deep truths of God’s Word accurately and learn how to apply them to your life.
Drink deeply, my friend, of the truths of God’s Word, for in them you will find Jesus Christ, and there is freedom, peace, assurance, and joy.
—Ken Baugh
Pastor of Coast Hills Community Church
Aliso Viejo, California