“If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.” (1 Corinthians 12:26)
Since I received Christ, I have experienced various kinds of unfortunate events, such as a business failure, financial difficulties, and a broken marriage, all in a short period of time. In those dark moments, I could not understand why God, who loves me so much, would allow these kinds of things to happen to me. My heart was full of despair, resentment and pain. I spent about six months learning how to be still before the Lord to seek His embrace and healing.
Then one day, God had me lead a small group. He led me into close relationships with those who were hurt and used all I had experienced to feed them, bringing deep comfort to them. To my surprise, I could even feel their pain. Since then, I have learned to listen attentively and watch closely so that I can carefully see, feel and care for others in need. And over the course of time, God completely healed my own hurts.
I realized that God not only wants me to embrace my own suffering, but also the sufferings of others in Christ. God does not simply heal me, but also wants me to experience corporate healing through my care, love, and forgiveness for others—a total transformation of the body of Christ! So from now on, let us fix our eyes on our Lord, the one who heals our whole being and gives us abundant life. Let us open ourselves to Him to embrace life and embrace suffering together!
Reflection Questions:
- How do you view your suffering? Have you ever realized that it is also the suffering of the body of Christ?
- How do you think God can work in your life or others’ lives through your suffering?
Written by Judd Hu. Artwork by Jasmine Chan