Austin's Blog

The Lord often makes His people eat of the bread of affliction (Isa. 30:20). One thing that is certain—they are not dining at the table of adversity because He lacks love for them (Lam. 3:31-33). Oftentimes, He allows such debilitating suffering not only for our sake but for the sake of others. We go through deep waters, learning to swim as we are cast upon the Rock of Christ so we, in turn, can teach others how to swim. We can help others. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” He says that He despaired of life itself because of his suffering (2 Cor. 1:8) but it was for the comfort and salvation of others (2 Cor. 1:6) as He relied upon God (2 Cor. 1:9).

What does this mean? God likely has a thousand reasons for why He might appoint or permit suffering for the Christian but oftentimes it is for the sake of others. We don’t just know about suffering in theory; we know about suffering in experience. The suffering is not just out there somewhere but within our very bones. It is within our teeth. We can better empathize with others, weep with others, and comfort others because we’ve been there. Others will benefit from our response to suffering. F. B. Meyer reminds us that, “The grave may be dark and deep, the winter long, the frost keen and penetrating; but spring will come, and the stone be rolled away, and the golden stalk shall wave in the sunshine, bearing its crown of fruit, and men shall thrive on the bread of our experience, the product of our tears and suffering and prayers.”

Nothing should be wasted. Nothing should be left on the shelf of our lives simply collecting dust. Though this is hard for those in the West to conceive, suffering is coming whether we like it or not. What will be done with it? Henri Nouwen writes, “Nobody escapes being wounded. We are all wounded people, whether physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually. The main question is not ‘How can we hide our wounds?’ so we don’t have to be embarrassed but ‘How can we put our woundedness in the service of others?’ When our wounds cease to be a source of shame and become a source of healing, we have become wounded healers.”

How then shall we live? “Are you broken like a wave, coming home on sharp rocks? Are you broken like a voice deepening into manhood? Are you broken like the Eucharist?” Are you broken like lightning crackling across the night sky? Are you broken like a couple hundred-year-old live oak after a hurricane has rolled through the city? Are you broken like a bone, crushed under the weight of a falling rock? If so, you are broken not just for yourself. You are broken so the Lord can mend you and then you can go out and mend others. Your woundedness can become a gift for others. No disciple is above His master (Matt. 10:24-25) and our Master did not shrink away from entering the suffering of others so He can help them (Heb. 4:15-16). Let us not shrink back from sharing the bread of our affliction with other hungry people.