“If God loves us, why does He allow us to suffer?” It is a question many non-Christians ask when presented with the message of the Gospel. The underlying thought behind it is, “How can I trust a God who would allow me to go through difficulties?” If we are being honest with ourselves, it is also a question many Christians have asked themselves when they have faced storms in their own lives. The early Christian missionaries Paul and Silas faced a similar situation in Acts 16:16-40 when they were beaten and thrown into prison by the local authorities because they had freed a slave woman from her demon possession.
Based on any objective sensibility, Paul and Silas were treated very unfairly. Paul had simply spoken a word of God’s power over this woman, casting out the spirit and giving her freedom. In response, he and Silas were accused by the crowd of stirring up trouble in the city. They were stripped and physically beaten (with no mention of any kind of trial or opportunity to defend themselves) and then thrown into prison. Paul and Silas had every reason to resent their circumstances, when they had simply been declaring the name of Jesus.
God is always present.
Difficulties are not the absence of God,
but often His means of developing us and growing us more and more into the character of His Son.
But God is not looking at our situation from our perspective and neither should we. Paul and Silas understood this point. After everything that had happened to them, what do we find them doing next? Praying and singing hymns to God. They knew there was a “next” and their imprisonment was not the end of the story. They recognized there can be purpose and teaching in times of suffering and uncertainty, and they prepared their hearts and minds as they waited expectantly for God’s purpose to be revealed.
What can we learn from Paul and Silas about what to do in the midst of our storms?
Keep God’s perspective in focus – God’s purpose in our lives is not to make us comfortable, but to train us in righteousness. When my daughter was very young, we signed her up for swim lessons. She was anxious and uncomfortable in the water at the beginning, and from her perspective she probably could not understand why her parents would subject her to that kind of suffering. But ultimately, she gained confidence and the skills she needed to keep herself safe around water. The same concept applies in our spiritual lives. God is training us to be resilient in our faith and, as the saying goes, calm seas do not make competent sailors.
Sing hymns of praise in the sight of others – Knowing God is at work allows you to praise Him as you wait in expectation for its result. Share that confidence with others, because someone is always watching. Paul and Silas were singing and praising in the prison and the other prisoners were listening. Times of suffering do not interrupt our testimony about Christ – they are often the most productive times for that testimony. Years later, Paul was able to use his sufferings to show others how God’s grace was displayed in his life (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
Do not run out of the prison as soon as the doors are opened – Be grateful when storms come to an end, but do not be so quick to flee the scene. God may have a purpose for you there still. When the earthquake shook open the doors of the prison and their chains came loose, Paul and Silas had their chance to escape. But having prepared their hearts and minds for God’s purposes in that situation, they stayed where God had put them. And what was the result? The jailer and his family found salvation, God’s power was displayed to the other prisoners (who also did not flee), the local authorities were rebuked and saw their error, and the other believers were encouraged.
God is always present. Difficulties are not the absence of God, but often His means of developing us and growing us more and more into the character of His Son. When storms come, remember to filter them through God’s perspective, prepare your heart and mind for the “next” by praising Him through them, and sticking around in the aftermath to put what you have learned to work.
