Why Christians Need to Suffer
Suffering’s Role in Your Christian Identity
by
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It was May 9th 2012 and after the doctor looked down my throat he put down his light, looked at me and said I'm sorry but you have cancer. In my whole life I was rarely sick and now my wife and I were making appointments at Sloan-Kettering in New York City.
Look all you want but there is no passage in the Bible that says as Christians we will be free of suffering, trials and tribulations. If anything, the Bible promises we are going to experience all of them. Jesus said in John 16:33 that in the world you will have tribulation. That is a pretty definitive statement. Not maybe you will have tribulation but you will have tribulation. It's simple, direct, to the point. When suffering comes we can react with anger or bitterness as many do. I did myself for a period of time. But if you realize that God has made clear that it is going to be part of life and a condition that comes with this planet of ours, then we can determine our response to it.
You cannot become stronger in anything unless you are first tested. That is a fact of life. Why wouldn't it be the same in your Christian walk? We must redefine suffering and we need to know that it can produce incredible things. We need to suffer in order to be a strong source of support for other who are suffering. We need to suffer so God can use us more effectively. We need to suffer sometimes to remove those things that hinder our relationship with God. It is a difficult subject to discuss. Reality and life can be hard. You can rise to the occasion and triumph in victory or you can falter and lose out on the blessings that God has in store for you.
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About the Book
The whole world suffers—rich, poor, young, old, man, woman, believer, and nonbeliever. Christians, however, must redefine suffering. They must understand that it is through suffering we grow, mature, and grow stronger and become better equipped. We need to suffer. Scripture promises us we will. It also promises blessings as a result.
About the Author
Joseph Bonacci is an elder at Calvary Chapel in Old Bridge, New Jersey. He is a writer, blogger (identityfulfilled.com), and adult education and Bible study teacher. Outside of church, he is a successful financial and investment executive.
While Joe has always been involved in the responsibilities of being an elder and teaching, he never really experienced the trials and suffering that many people he counseled were dealing with.
That all changed in May of 2012 when he was diagnosed with cancer. After enduring a very difficult treatment and recovery over a period of ten months, Joe felt compelled to tell just how Christian suffering should be different from that of the rest of the world. Christians need to redefine suffering. It is suffering that serves to equip us and permit us to grow in our Christian walk. Joe makes a very clear and concise presentation as to how Christians can embrace suffering as a way to truly strengthen their relationships with the Lord and, more importantly, to use the experience to be of service to others. He explores why Christians actually need to suffer.
Joe lives in New Jersey, with his wife, Diane, and has two grown children and a granddaughter.