When we are enduring a trial we need to remember that it isn’t about the suffering it is about what we gain.  WHAT?  What an odd thing to say.  What we gain from the suffering?  "How do we gain anything in suffering" is most likely what you are thinking right now.  I will be honest, I didn’t always think I would gain anything in a trial either-it was a lesson learned through suffering.  Yet it is a lesson I learned-that there is something to be gained in suffering.

If we look at Christ and what He endured for us on the cross, we have to say–it was much suffering!  When we look at Matthew 26:36-46 Christ asks not to endure this suffering.

Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray." He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me." Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter. "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done." When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing. Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer!"

Christ asks the father if the burden that is about to be placed on him can be taken away.  He is deeply troubled, deeply sorrowed, and yet he still tells the father that he will do the fathers will.  He knows what He is about to endure, the pain that will come with it, and He is feeling the human emotions that come with that knowledge.  Those emotions are felt with an intensity we can never feel because they are pure from sin, and yet he still tells the father that He will do the fathers will.  Pain, sorrow, and intense suffering will come from doing the fathers will.  What can come of that?

We know that since Christ was willing to do as the father asked we are able to be forgiven through Gods mercy and grace, because that was the Lord’s plan, for us to once again come into fellowship with Him.  For God that is joy, and for us the only way to experience joy.   So out of terrible suffering, the worst suffering in history, the suffering of Christ, comes the greatest joy.  So if that is the case then how can we say that suffering is worth nothing.  Christ, who would endure the greatest suffering, was willing to follow the father’s will because He knew God’s plan would bring the greatest joy.

The question for us becomes how we find joy in suffering.  If, through the greatest suffering ever there was joy, should there not then be joy in our suffering.  We are told in James 1:2-3 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. " (James 1:2-3 )  It isn’t automatic, we must consider it so.  Even for Christ it wasn’t automatic.  He asked to have the cup removed, he had to choose to do the fathers will, choose to follow the father even in suffering, choose to see Gods plan over the suffering.  That is what we must do.  Choose to do the fathers will regardless of our suffering, choose to follow the Lord even in of our trial, and choose to see what the Lord is doing in our life through trials and suffering.  That is when we find joy in trial-when we choose to see what God is doing in and through the suffering, when we focus on Him and what He is doing.

When traveling have you ever ended up at a completely different destination then originally intended when you left your house?  That can happen, but it would be rather unusual.  I would suspect if we had airline pilots who told us "I am going to take you to a completely different destination today as a surprise!" we would not generally consider that a good surprise.  Even if we ended up in a beautiful tropical location we always dreamed of visiting, having intended to go to a family reunion!  Our reaction might be one of shock, surprise, dismay, and eventual utter disarray and confusion.  The reaction can be as varied as the individual.  The outward reactions might be anything from humorous to scary as a matter of fact.  The internal reactions however would be where the real fight took place, and what really would matter when the plane landed at its destination.  How one reacted to the original news, and handled the flight int he middle, would determine how one would react to the news of where they eventually landed.

Our internal reactions is where we battle everyday when we are faced with major U-turns in our life.  The big trails that test us for the long term.  The trails that continue for longer then a bump, a detour, or road block.  These trials are the trials that completely alter the course of our plan and place our trust in Gods plan on an every day basis.  We start asking "God what exactly are you doing to me?"  How we react is in our control, and we can choose to run to God or away from Him.  Which we choose to do is going to make a dramatic difference in what we focus on during the trial.  That focus will determine our state of mind, our emotional well being, and our spiritual strength as we run the race that lays before us.  We are to fix our eyes on Christ, who endured the cross and sat down at the right hand of God. (Heb 12:1-2 ).

Focusing on Christ is what will determine our ability to withstand the trial, because He is where our focus lies, the goal is the prize of heaven and its reward (Phil 3:12-14 ).  When we began to lose our focus that is when we stumble, and it becomes easy for the enemy to attack us with lies.  How do we stay focused in our trial, in the midst of a U-turn?  First, we remember that God knew it was coming and intends it for our good (Jer 29:11 ).  Second, we recall that God does not change regardless of our circumstances (Mal3:6 , Jas 1:17 ).  The third step requires action on our part, we need to be sure we are an active participant in our relationship with Christ.  What does that mean exactly?  Prayer, reading Gods Word, and fellowship with believers.  Even if you are in a place in your relationship with Him where none of that is happening, it can.  The smallest gesture on our part connects us to God in a powerful way.  He desires to connect to us, He wants a relationship with you so badly He sent Christ.  So if you are in a place of confusion or disarray, simply go to God with a "Help!  I need you!"  He is there waiting to hear your voice.

If you don’t have that relationship because you have never trusted Christ and what He did on the cross, that is where it begins.  The story of how I trusted Christ can be found here:  www.LayingOnGodsAnvil.com .  I hope that you would take the opportunity to read it, and pray that you trust Christ and what He did on the cross for you.