God prepares great men for great tasks by great trials. J.K. Gressett

The Problem

• The desire of most men is to be happy, to avoid pain and suffering, and to escape the bleak life that so many men seem to lead.
• The Bible teaches that suffering is part of God's order. We shouldn't go looking for it, but neither should we be surprised when it finds us.
• The plain truth is that when life goes our way we don't carefully examine our ways. If nothing else, suffering does get our attention.

Seven Reasons Men Suffer

1. An innocent mistake.
2. An error in judgment.
3. An integrity problem.
4. The environment changes.
5. Evil happens.
6. God disciplines.
7. God tests.

Resisting Suffering

Ways we resist suffering:

1. We plead.
2. We compare.
3. We pout.
4. We shout.
5. We doubt.

After the Resisting

The solution to our suffering is not in how to get it over with, but in learning how to enjoy the fellowship of sharing in Christ's suffering, to not falter in times of trouble, to be anxious for nothing, to endure patiently, and to walk in the power of the Spirit.

The Privilege of Suffering

Until you have been up against the wall, totally backed into the corner, all your resources expended, no more ideas from your own ingenuity, no more wise counsel from friends, all favors owed have been called in; until you have been totally exhausted and without hope -- not just for a moment -- but for weeks and months or even years on end; not until then will trusting the Lord ever move entirely from abstract to personal.