Passing by a statue of Buddha while walking through Port Townsend, WA, I noticed a cross necklace around it’s neck. I said “how strange” to my friend which opened up a very interesting conversation.
My friend, at a computer on the other end of the phone, started researching Buddha’s teaching and whether it related to God.
What God highlighted, in the short amount of time my friend and I researched Buddhism, was the theme of suffering. More specifically the Buddhist concept of eliminating suffering.
Since suffering due to following and surrendering our lives fully to Jesus seems to be a topic of conversation for many Christians I dug into it a bit more.
And what I found was surprising!
I actually discovered that so much of my own suffering is self imposed!
- When I worry about what might happen, or think about difficulties in the past, I cause my own suffering.
- When I fear something that is not warranted, again, I cause suffering.
Which makes me wonder what the bible says about eliminating this type of self-imposed suffering:
““Therefore I tell you, stop being worried or anxious (perpetually uneasy, distracted) about your life,” Matthew 6:25 (AMP)
Well….this is clear. God simply does not want me to experience the type of suffering I bring upon myself through worry, anxiety, or being perpetually uneasy or distracted!
So…what does he say about how this is possible?
It requires my effort (with his help!),
“…for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” 2 Timothy 1:7 (ESV)
When fear begins to take over, I need to “partner with” the truth of power, love and self-control rather than fear.
“For freedom Christ has set you free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1 (ESV)
When I start going into the slavery I experience through worry and anxiety, I need to actively remember that God has set me free and actively stand firm and not go back into this slavery in my own mind.
“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV)
Again, my participation is active!
- Demolish arguments
- Take captive my thoughts
- Make them obedient to Christ
Now I have some really good ammunition to use against this type of self-imposed suffering.
But Buddha’s teaching indicates it is possible to avoid all suffering. What does the bible say about this?
Jesus walked the earth during a time of great suffering for Israel and, while he healed and fed a large number of people, he did not conquer the Romans and remove suffering completely.
In fact he said we should expect suffering!
“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (NLT)
The focus of this verse isn’t the suffering. It is about what is available even though we have trials and sorrows. Jesus tells us what we need to know so that we can have peace in him and that while trials and sorrows remain….he has overcome the world.
For something so important though I need clear instructions. Fortunately, God gives it.
Here is what he says to do to overcome suffering and experience the peace and abundance Jesus promises.
“We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.” Hebrews 12:2 (NLT)
- My part is to keep my eyes on Jesus.
- Jesus’ part is to initiate and perfect my faith. He has already initiated faith in me (and you or you wouldn’t be reading this now) AND he is now perfecting it.
We don’t want to dismiss the very valid concerns of Christians. Jesus warns us there is a cost to following him (Matthew 8:18-22)
But are the results worth it, particularly if we keep eternity in mind?
Examples in the bible prove it is possible to experience Jesus in a way that overcomes suffering:
- Peter and Silas sang and worshipped while in prison on behalf of God’s truth. (Acts 16:25)
- Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon were written by Paul while he was in jail, yet they are some of the most freeing and joyful concepts in the bible. (I often wonder if jail was simply God’s way of getting Paul to sit still long enough to write the books!)
- The fruits of the Spirit include love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness. There is no suffering in this list.
- Jesus, for the joy set before him, endured the cross. (Hebrews 12:2)
This all makes me wonder if I actually bring more suffering into my life by trying to avoid the suffering I believe will come from following Jesus.
So my question becomes, “What if I surrendered and did what God tells me is best for me?”
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the LORD and turn away from evil. Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones.” Proverbs 3:5-8 (NLT)
How much less would I experience suffering in my day-to-day life if I simply trusted God. He tells me it will result in:
- Him showing me which path to take (one of my biggest worries)
- Healing for my body and strength for my bones (the source of much of the anxiety I experience)
How much more would I enjoy my day if I simply followed the “formula” set out in Philippians 4:4-7
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“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” (verse 4)
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“Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand;” (verse 5)
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“do not be anxious about anything,” (verse 6)
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“but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
The next verse shares the result, which is exactly what leads to avoiding the experience of suffering:
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“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (verse 7)
Could he be more clear?
In all of this God, once again, proves he is not threatened by philosophies or religions. He is greater than them all:
“My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all” John 10:29 (ESV)
He used something that made me very uncomfortable and protective of Jesus (a statue of Buddha wearing a cross necklace) to significantly change my understanding of suffering. Now I ask him to help me walk out this wisdom so I can experience the promised peace that passes understanding.
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