A Word from Bob: You’re reading Part 2 of a two-part blog mini-series. You can read Part 1 here: A Tale of Two Passages. In Part 1, we focused on 2 Corinthians 1:8-9a. Notice that I say “9a.” We purposefully dropped off the conversation before the second half of the verse—so we could focus our attention on the depth of Paul’s suffering. Paul would say, “Suffer deeply and honestly.” We tend to say, “Suffer well.”
If I Hear “Suffer Well” One More Time, I May Become Ill…
If you’ve heard the phrase “suffer well” in the biblical counseling world once, then you’ve likely heard it a few 100 times. When I hear it, here’s what I hear:
“Suffer well. Buck up! God works all things together for good. Quit the pity party. Don’t you know you can and should hope in God!? Deny your feelings. Faith matters, not feelings. Grow up. Stop complaining. Be happy. Count your blessings.”
I fear that “suffer well” has become an evangelical code word for “stop feeling!”
But biblically, “suffer well” is much more complex. Much richer. More robust.
“Side” One of Suffering Well: Lament
“Suffer well” as modeled by the Apostle Paul includes
To continue...read the full-length post originally published on this site.
