Most of us would prefer to avoid suffering if we could.
Sometimes suffering comes as a result of many things including stressful
situations, sickness, loss, or natural disaster. Suffering any trial causes people
emotional and physical distress. Belinda Deal, a nurse who frequently
encounters people who are suffering in a hospital setting, describes the
relationship between suffering and religion and says “Suffering is a spiritual
matter, and understanding the patient’s spiritual and religious background
gives the nurse an insight into how patients make meaning of suffering.” In her
article, she states several religious views to suffering, however as Christian
counselors we know that suffering is a result of the fall and a focus on our
circumstances and our fallen world is suffering. She quotes Frankl, a prisoner
of the Nazis from the WWII, “If a prisoner lost faith in the future- his
future- was doomed. With the loss of belief in the future, he also lost his
spiritual hold; he let himself decline and become subject to mental and
physical decay.” Suffering physically and emotionally is interconnected with
the hopelessness of no religion. As counselors we can choose to guide our
clients in two directions “God as the source of strength, or source of
suffering.” One of these options encourages genuine hope, and the other seeks
to find responsibility for the source of trials.
We live
in a society where it is really easy to see God as the source of suffering because
He is in control. We often ask “Why God?” and can become bitter and frustrated
by the circumstances. However I am not sure if I agree with Ms. Deal when she
writes “If patients can find meaning in their suffering, they can endure the
suffering.” It makes sense that we sometimes ask our Creator why he created
pain and suffering, for the reason that we would like to avoid it for the
future. However often those answers never come, and we are left with unanswered
questions. Since suffering is universal and unavoidable we have to help one
another through the trying times. As counselors and as people encountering
suffering, we can choose to include God in these trials or not. If we choose to
exclude God from our suffering, then can we really blame him for it? Excluding
God from our suffering causes us to look elsewhere for reconciliation. But
really… where is true reconciliation found, apart from the love and grace of
God?
We need
to include God as essential to our counseling for he is our hope in the times
of suffering. Jesus Christ suffered for us so we can have hope from an eternity
of suffering. When we include God in our suffering, and counseling of
suffering, we invite the source of suffering, and the one who suffered the most
to answer the questions and bring the reconciliation we seek. Psalm 118: 8- 14 says
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in humans.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in princes.
All the nations surround me,
but in the name of the LORD I cut them down.
They surrounded me on every side,
but in the name of the LORD I cut them down.
They swarmed around me like bees,
but they were consumed as quickly as burning thorns;
I was pushed back and about to fall,
but the LORD helped me.
The LORD is my strength and my defense;
he has become my salvation.
Religion and suffering are interconnected. We can choose to
ignore this fact, or recognize it and work with it. I choose to look at it as a
blessing in counseling and life that we have God on our side, to be with us in
the sufferings. As the verses say we can ask him to be our refuge, strength and
defense. We can go to God as the healer, peacemaker and savior. We all will
continue to face sufferings, but with God and the acceptance of Christ as our
savior, we can have hope for a comforted future.
Mercy Me, a popular Christian band, recently came out with a
song called “Hurt and the Healer” (video below with lyrics). May I encourage
you to listen and read the lyrics and consider making God your source of hope
in your suffering and counseling.
I also recommend reading the article for it presents other
interesting perspectives to counseling. Belinda Deal's experience in hospital
suffering offers great insight to counselors of all faiths. The article
is accessible to students of Liberty University through the Lucas portal, or is
available for purchase at this link.
Deal, B. (2011,
July/August) Finding meaning in suffering. Holistic
Nursing Practice. 25 (4):205-210, doi:
10.1097/HNP.0b013e31822271db.
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