Aging Spiritually: Annoying, But Necessary, Suffering
“It is when I am weak that I am strong.”
—
In the past six weeks I have become more empathetic with people who suffer chronic pain or discomfort. About six weeks agoI was lifting a small-ish box of books when I discovered how a simple, ordinary act like lifting a box of books can reveal the limitations of my (comparatively younger) aging body. I sprained my left thumb and wrist.
It’s not a huge pain. My male ego prevented me from admitting there was a problem for several weeks. Even after I went to the doctor it still took me a week to go to the drug store to get a small, simple black brace and splint that screams out to the world “THIS MAN IS WEAK!” Why can’t men admit it when we hurt?
Really, it wasn’t much. Even six weeks later, it still isn’t much. But it isn’t back to normal either. So, I’m wearing my brace and avoiding use of my left hand. Have you ever tried to button or unbutton a shirt without using your thumb? Sometimes our aging bodies can be awkward and inconvenient.
Do you realize how often you use your thumb? I’ve learned to ask Jan for help (again, bruising my fragile male ego) to do simple tasks that require use of my left hand. It is teaching mea bit of necessary humility.
Your suffering and pain can be a way to give up control of your life and grow toward who God wants you to be. By writing of my situation, I do not make light of the depths and intensity of suffering and pain some people endure. I have known people who have suffered greatly. My point is simply this, “Allow your suffering to be a means of spiritual growth.”
In his book, Falling Upward, Richard Rohr writes that spiritual growth comes through “necessary suffering.” He said, “We grow spiritually much more by doing it wrong than by doing it right!”
Paul recognizes this spiritual truth in 2 Corinthians 12:10 “It is when I am weak that I am strong.” Paul came to understand the necessity of suffering in our lives that turns us away from our self-sufficient strengths toward accepting the gifts of God that come from suffering and weakness.
“Therefore, to keep me from being too elated, a thorn was given me in the flesh. . . Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me, but the Lord said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:7-9).
Through my (comparatively small) weakness, God has allowed me to grow in both humility and empathy. I have learned to “die to self” just a little to spiritually grow closer to God. When I let go of my ego to allow even a small bit of humility to show (by wearing a brace on my hand), I have died to self and am living into the person God calls me to be.
Thanks be to God for the growth in humility and empathy that comes through my suffering and pain.
Practice
In your journal, write of a pain or suffering(physical, emotional, relational, or other)that you have suffered in the past, or are suffering right now.
Reflect on how your suffering has caused you to die to self, even if only in a small way.
How can your past or present suffering lead you to grow spiritually?
Give thanks to God for the growth that comes through your suffering.
Greg Smith
Former Executive Director of the Legacy Ministry