Have you ever felt the nudge of the Holy Spirit, gently whispering truth into your heart? I had one of those moments one morning as I stood in my bathroom getting ready for church. I was praying for my mom when I heard the Holy Spirit say, “Tell her to ‘suffer well.’ Tell her the last major blow to the enemy is to suffer well in me. Tell her to set her mind on things above and keep her faith in Jesus, to praise Jesus despite what she is going through.”
What does it mean to suffer well, anyway? Jesus gave us the perfect example. It wasn’t that He wanted to suffer; He understood that suffering was the only way to accomplish the greatest mission of all: bringing humanity back into a right relationship with God. Jesus willingly endured the cross because He knew it was the only sacrifice that could atone for the sins of the world.
Even in His suffering, Jesus displayed vulnerability and surrender. In Matthew 26:39, He prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Jesus’ suffering led to His resurrection, and in the same way, if we are to share in His resurrection, we must also share in His suffering. As 1 Peter 4:13 says, “But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.” Similarly, 2 Corinthians 1:5 reminds us, “For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.”
So, what can we learn from Jesus about suffering well? When the unthinkable happens and we are left picking up the pieces, we face a choice. We can let the enemy destroy us, or we can allow Jesus to take our hand, heal our wounds, and fill us with His presence and comfort.
Jesus suffered well because He obeyed the Father’s will, even unto death. As 1 Peter 2:20 tells us, He entrusted Himself to God in His suffering. He kept His eyes on the bigger picture—not the immediate pain. 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 encourages us with this truth: “For this light 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.” Our earthly lives are just a moment compared to eternity.
When we suffer in Jesus, others witness His power and presence in us. This testimony draws them closer to Him. Philippians 1:12 tells us, “Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel.” When we allow Jesus to walk with us through suffering, exchanging our heartache and pain for His life and purpose, everything changes. Only Jesus can heal us and bring purpose out of our pain to advance His Kingdom.
When we rely on Jesus no matter what we face, we defeat the works of the enemy. We become over-comers, because our victory is found in Jesus Himself. The hardships we endure—when surrendered to Jesus—sanctify us and deepen our relationship with Him. Philippians 3:10 beautifully declares, “I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of His resurrection and participation in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death.”
So let’s take back the weapons the enemy has used against us. Let’s lay everything down at the feet of Jesus, trusting Him to carry us through to the other side. Our suffering, when surrendered to Him, becomes a powerful testimony of His grace, love, and faithfulness. And in doing so, we join Jesus in defeating the works of the enemy and advancing the gospel for His glory.
You can read more about this in my book Unthinkable-Taking the hand of Jesus through pain and suffering into a life of freedom and purpose. Get your copy on Amazon.
In Him,
Heather Bradley
Author of Unthinkable

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