Guest Posting: "Righteousness Comes from Suffering"

From time to time, I allow guest postings from my blog readers to be published on Yapdates. The writer is a 'Special Education Teacher' for 15 years and has contributed an article on suffering and righteousness. The views are entirely attributed to the author and does not necessarily represent mine or Yapdates blog. It is provided 'as-is' (with slight formatting) to provide a diversity of views on suffering and the Christian. My comments will appear on this blog post at a later date.

Thanks Denise for your contribution.

conrade

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Righteousness Comes from Suffering

Author: Denise Keene

Throughout the Bible, there is a theme of finding righteousness through suffering. There are two verses, in particular, that offer guidance on how Christians should approach weakness and suffering in life.   These two verses can also offer encouragement for those who are affected by physical or mental disabilities. Christ tells us to revere those who suffer, and to strive to live our lives with the same humility and faith that they often do.

Christ teaches that we should embrace physical pain and remain humble about our life on Earth, because it is temporary. As Christians, we should remain mindful that our souls are what really make us who we are, not our bodies. For this reason, those with physical or mental disabilities (and their family and friends) should find comfort in knowing that their bodily disorder is not what makes them who they are…their soul does.

In the following verse from 2 Corinthians, Paul tells a story about his conceitedness and how Christ showed him humility by placing a thorn in his side. Paul pleaded for Christ to remove his torment. This is what followed:

2 Corinthians 12:9-10: But he (Christ) said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

In the next shared verse, Peter writes in a letter to a several different churches telling them that they must stop taking part in earthly desire and embrace suffering in order to follow Christ:

1 Peter 4:1-2: Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with this attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.

These two verses are essentially a reminder that we all have to suffer in order to find righteousness. However, in this suffering, Christ will provide us strength and eternal life.

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Denise Keene has been a Special Education teacher for 15 years and likes to write articles about various related topics. She also owns the site Masters In Special Education.