An Iron-Sharpening-Iron Conversation about “Biblical Sufferology” and “Suffer Well”
My friend, and biblical counseling colleague, Kevin Carson, recently published a blog called,
Waiting Well in Long-Term Struggle.
In his post, Kevin addresses the concern that some of us have about the phrase “suffer well.” I thought I would advance that conversation by interacting with Kevin. Here’s goes…
My Interaction with Kevin
Thanks for the article, Kevin. My eyes were especially draw to your concluding admonition to biblical counselors where you say:
“Some people recoil at the phrase “suffer well,” believing it sounds dismissive or insensitive to real pain. Certainly, we must use this encouragement wisely, carefully, and compassionately. Yet we cannot ignore that James calls believers to exactly this – to suffer well. Not stoically, not independently, and not with a fake smile, but with patient endurance anchored in the compassion and mercy of the Lord and motivated by the return of Christ. To withhold this encouragement would be to overlook a clear biblical admonition. Suffering well is not the totality of our counsel, but it is certainly part of it.”
And on X, when you introduce your post, you lead with these cautions about how we view “suffer well.” You
To continue...read the full-length post originally published on this site.
