2 Timothy 2:3-5

King James Version

³  Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

⁴  No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

⁵  And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.

Suffering may not always be persecution because of your faith. Sometimes it’s just life. An inevitable part of life!

Suffering is a common aspect of human life, and it can take many different forms

1 Corinthians 10:13

English Standard Version

¹³  No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

Here are some examples of the kinds of suffering people commonly experience:

1. Physical Suffering

- Illness: Chronic pain, terminal diseases, injuries, or disabilities can cause significant physical suffering. Examples include cancer, arthritis, heart disease, or recovery from surgery.

- Aging: The natural aging process can bring about physical decline, leading to mobility issues, loss of strength, and various health problems.

- Injury or Accidents: Car accidents, work-related injuries, or other unexpected events can cause physical pain and hardship.

2. Emotional Suffering

- Grief and Loss: The death of a loved one, a miscarriage, or the loss of a pet can lead to profound emotional suffering.

- Loneliness: Feeling isolated or disconnected from others, especially after the loss of relationships or in times of social alienation, can cause deep emotional pain.

- Heartbreak: The end of a romantic relationship, divorce, or betrayal can lead to intense emotional suffering.

- Depression and Anxiety: Mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, or other mood disorders can cause significant emotional distress.

3. Financial Suffering

- Poverty: Living in poverty, struggling to afford basic needs like food, shelter, and healthcare, can be a source of ongoing suffering.

- Job Loss: Losing a job or experiencing financial instability can lead to stress, anxiety, and hardship for individuals and families.

- Debt: Being overwhelmed by debt, whether due to student loans, medical expenses, or credit cards, can cause ongoing financial suffering and pressure.

4. Relational Suffering

- Family Conflict: Strained relationships within families—between spouses, parents, and children, or among siblings—can lead to ongoing emotional and psychological suffering.

- Abuse: Emotional, physical, or sexual abuse can cause severe trauma and suffering, both in the short and long term.

- Rejection: Being excluded or rejected by friends, family, or society can lead to a deep sense of worthlessness and isolation.

5. Existential Suffering

- Loss of Purpose: Struggling with questions about the meaning of life, purpose, or spiritual identity can lead to existential suffering.

- Midlife Crisis: Facing life transitions, questioning past decisions, or feeling a lack of fulfillment in middle age can cause emotional distress.

- Fear of Death: The fear of death or dying, or watching a loved one near death, can bring about significant existential suffering.

6. Social Suffering

- Discrimination: Experiences of racism, sexism, homophobia, or other forms of discrimination can cause significant psychological and social suffering.

- Bullying: Being bullied or harassed at school, work, or online can lead to emotional and psychological trauma.

- Injustice: Living in an unjust society where inequality, corruption, or oppression are common can cause suffering, especially for marginalized individuals or groups.

7. Spiritual Suffering

- Crisis of Faith: Doubts about one's beliefs, feeling abandoned by God, or struggling with religious guilt can lead to spiritual suffering.

- Guilt and Shame: Deep feelings of guilt or shame for past actions or perceived failures can cause internal turmoil and spiritual suffering.

Suffice to say, suffering can touch nearly every aspect of life—physical, emotional, relational, financial, and spiritual.

In Christian thought, suffering is often viewed as a therapeutic process for spiritual healing and growth, rather than merely something negative

Here are some key ways in which suffering is understood as therapeutic in the Christian tradition:

1. Path to Sanctification (Union with God)

- The ultimate goal of the Christian life is sanctification, or becoming more like God. Suffering is seen as part of the purification process that brings one closer to God. Just as Christ suffered on the cross, believers share in His suffering, which draws them into deeper communion with God and fosters spiritual growth.

2. Purification from Sin

- The Christian tradition teaches that human beings are enslaved to sin (sinful tendencies like pride, anger, and greed). Suffering is viewed as a means of purifying the soul from these sins, humbling the person and refocusing their life on God’s will, rather than their own desires.

3. Learning Humility and Patience

- Suffering teaches humility by showing that we are not in control of everything in life. Through suffering, believers learn to trust in God and develop patience. These virtues are critical in the Christian spiritual life, as they help one surrender their ego and embrace a life of repentance and service to others.

4. Participation in Christ's Suffering

- Christian theology emphasizes that by enduring suffering, Christians are sharing in the suffering of Christ Himself. This concept of synergy—working together with God—is central to Christian spirituality. By bearing suffering, believers are participating in Christ’s redemptive work and are drawn closer to His life and resurrection.

5. Healing of the Soul

- In Christianity, the soul is seen as in need of healing due to the effects of sin. Suffering is part of the therapeutic process of healing the soul, in which God uses difficult circumstances to refine and cleanse the person’s inner life. This healing enables the person to better love God and neighbor.

6. Strengthening Faith

- Suffering is understood as a way to strengthen faith and reliance on God. Through trials and hardships, Christians are called to deepen their trust in God's providence. Such faith-building experiences foster a more intimate and personal relationship with God.

7. Transforming Suffering into Love

- The Christian tradition emphasizes transforming personal suffering into compassion for others. As believers endure their own struggles, they are called to develop a deeper empathy for others’ suffering, thereby cultivating a life of love and mercy.

Suffering in the Christian tradition is viewed as a path to purification, spiritual healing, and deeper communion with God. It is not simply an unfortunate aspect of life but an integral part of the spiritual journey that leads to transformation and union with Christ.

Often people turn to abuse (drugs, alcohol, sugar, shopping, salt, negativity, sex…etc) to get relief (albeit temporal) from suffering. This can be problematic, especially for Christian professionals.

I recommend the following to get relief, or take the edge off:

• Taking walks in nature

• Getting into Community

• Practice Hesychastic prayer or contemplative prayer with breathwork

• Exercise

• Music

• Reading

• Altruism, volunteering, or helping others

  Remember the words of the saints:

  St. Paul the Apostle

  • On Suffering for Christ’s Sake: "If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation... For we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too" (2 Corinthians 1:5-7). St. Paul understood suffering as a participation in Christ's own sufferings, believing that it has redemptive value and leads to the comfort of eternal life with God.

St. John of the Cross

• On Suffering as Purification: "To reach satisfaction in all, desire its possession in nothing. To come to possess all, desire the possession of nothing." St. John of the Cross, known for his teaching on the "dark night of the soul," believed that suffering purifies the soul by detaching it from worldly pleasures and attachments. This purification leads the soul toward deeper union with God.

St. Padre Pio

• On Offering Suffering for Others: "Suffering, no matter how difficult it may be, becomes a privileged means of sanctification when we offer it to God in union with Christ's Passion." St. Padre Pio often spoke of the power of suffering when it is united with Christ’s own sufferings.

St. Augustine

• On Suffering and God's Providence: "God had one Son on earth without sin, but never one without suffering." St. Augustine emphasized that suffering is a part of every human life, even for Christ Himself. He believed that while suffering is painful, it can also be used by God for our growth, teaching, and ultimately, our salvation.

St. Teresa of Ávila

On Suffering with Joy: "Suffering is a great favor. Remember that everything soon comes to an end, and take courage. Think of how our gain is eternal." St. Teresa of Ávila viewed suffering as an opportunity for spiritual advancement, believing that enduring hardships with patience leads to eternal reward and a closer union with God.

+ Fr. Seraphim Rose, quoted in Father Seraphim Rose: His Life and Works

“Why do men learn through pain and suffering, and not through pleasure and happiness? Very simply, because pleasure and happiness accustom one to satisfaction with the things given in this world, whereas pain and suffering drive one to seek a more profound happiness beyond the limitations of this world. I am at this moment in some pain, and I call on the Name of Jesus—not necessarily to relieve the pain, but that Jesus, in Whom alone we may transcend this world, may be with me during it, and His will be done in me. But in pleasure I do not call on Him; I am content then with what I have, and I think I need no more. And why is a philosophy of pleasure untenable?—because pleasure is impermanent and unreliable, and pain is inevitable. In pain and suffering Christ speaks to us, and thus God is kind to give them to us, yes, and evil too—for in all of these we glimpse something of what must lie beyond, if there really exists what our hearts most deeply desire.”