Lessons From Suffering Part 3
“Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind” (1 Peter 3:8).
How does suffering produce “sympathy, brotherly love, and a tender heart?”
I always thought I was a fairly sympathetic person. Certainly not too judgmental.
Then I went through a really dark season. I walked through things I never thought would be part of my life. And that, in and of itself, is a type of judgment, isn’t it?
“That could never happen to my family,” is really code for, “That only happens to (fill in the blank) people.”
But the truth is that financial hits, mental health crises, addiction, marital strife, and all the other struggles we face don’t discriminate. Everyone is fair game.
And nothing softens a heart more than first-hand knowledge of a trauma. Now, when I hear others speak of their hurts and heartbreaks, my heart is breaking right along with theirs. When I see them sliding into dangerous waters, love flows where judgment used to hide.
It is not fun when God allows us to enter—even linger or dwell for a season—into a place we never thought we would be. But lean in close and hear, dear one—He will use even this for our good if we’ll let Him (Romans 8:28).
God won’t waste a moment of our suffering or overlook a single tear we shed (Psalm 56:8). But He will minister to our hearts and change us from the inside out (2 Corinthians 3:18) until we become a more beautiful version of ourselves, shining His glory right there in the darkness (Romans 5:3-5; 1 Corinthians 4:7-9).
He will replace our hearts of stone and judgment with hearts of flesh—tender hearts full of sympathy and brother love (Ezekiel 36:26).
Until next time,
Shelby
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