Suffering

The pain passes, but the beauty remains

Eirene4 Comments

Several years ago during a very difficult time in my life a friend shared this story with me:

When French impressionist painter Auguste Renoir was confined to his home during the last decade of his life, Henri Matisse was nearly 28 years younger than him. The two great artists were dear friends and frequent companions. Matisse visited him daily. Renoir, almost paralyzed by arthritis, continued to paint in spite of his infirmities. One day as Matisse watched the elder painter work in his studio, fighting torturous pain with each brush stroke, he blurted out: “Auguste, why do you continue to paint when you are in such agony?”

Renoir said: “The pain passes but the beauty remains.”

Those words touched my heart in a profound way as I realized that my pain, in the hands of my God, was producing a beautiful brokenness.  I have never viewed suffering in the same light since then.

“The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.”  Psalm 34:18

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart – these O God, you will not despise.”  Psalm 51:17

If brokenness brings the nearness of God, why do we fight against it so much?  This pain is not a master sent to rule over us, but our servant, sent to work in us that wonderful work of conforming us to Christ. 

How insignificant our pain will be when we see it as the hand of the Potter, gently sculpting, meticulously crafting a vessel of honor fit for the Master’s use. Those scarred and broken places in my soul, they are covered with His fingerprints. 

The pain passes, but the beauty remains.

Progress and joy

Eirene1 Comment

As Paul shares with the Philippian church the reason he feels that it is necessary for him to continue living, he gives two reasons: for your progress and joy of faith. (Phil 1:25)

One of the things that is heartbreaking to see is the number of believers who seem to have a shallow faith. They remind me of the hearer who received the seed sown on stony places who has no root and stumbles when tribulation or persecution arises (Matthew 13:20-21).

In prosperous countries such as America, there seems to be little willingness to endure hardship for Christ. But as the apostle Paul talks about their advancing and progressing in the faith, he goes on to talk about suffering. What a tremendous thing he says about suffering in verse 29 – that it has been granted to us for Christ’s sake. To get the full impact of the verse, you must know that the word granted means to show ones’ self gracious, kind and benevolent. Hear this – it is a gift of grace directly from the hand of God to suffer for Christ. These are hard words, not likely to be embraced by those with a shallow faith. But Paul wants to help the Philippians as they begin to experience persecution for the name of Jesus, and assure them that they need not be ashamed of the suffering they are undergoing.

Another critical component of faith that Paul wanted to help the Philippians with was joy. What a strange combination – suffering and joy. But the apostle Paul’s experience was that these two seemingly contradictory things are perfectly suited to dwell together. Remember when he was in the Philippian jail after having been beaten? His heart was so full of joy that he was singing!! Those who live in nations where it is dangerous to be a Christian and where the church is underground can probably attest to this fact. There is a special grace during persecution and suffering, and Paul wants the Philippians to experience this as well.

In America we have been spared the persecution that Christians in many other parts of the world endure on a daily basis. For now. But if the day should come when it will really cost us something to stand for Christ, are our hearts prepared? Let us meditate on these words of the Saviour:

“Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:11-12

May the Lord so strengthen our hearts that we are prepared to joyfully endure all things for the glory of Christ.