When you’re suffering, you guard yourself because people will try to say stupid things to you.

to moralize your pain.
to minimize your pain.

 

As a staunch, bible-believing,
twice-born, half-baked,
pineapple-upside-down, Christian,

I will adamantly oppose such things.

Because I have to many friends who have remained in abusive relationships with karma,
and I will have none of that.

I love you, AND BECAUSE of that, I cannot support this lifestyle this, liaison, you have with karma. And so, I would like to present to you a better partner…

 

So
I know you don’t want to hear it. But
my hope is you’ll find this perspective
refreshing.

a passage from Tullian Tchivijian’s book, Glorious Ruin:

 

“The
gospel

frees us

to
speak honestly
about the reality
of pain

,

confident that

nothing

rides on our ability
to cope with
or fend off

suffering.

 

Before we can even begin to grapple with the frustrations and tragedies of life in this world,
we must do away with our

faithless
morality

of
payback
and
reward.

We must reacquaint ourselves
with the biblical

weight

of the problem
that
we
(less-than-perfect human beings)
are contending with
in the face of
(a holy and righteous)
God.

…

Thank the Lord
that He doesn’t
count
our sins
against
us.

…

For those who are suffering,
my hope
is that
clearing away the clutter
of this

nefarious idea of cosmic payback

is a relief.

 

If you have suffered the loss of a family member to chronic disease,
if you suffer debilitating seasons of depression,
if you lost your job and livelihood, or
if you went through a divorce that came out of the blue,

know

that God
is
not
punishing
you.

He is not
waiting
for you
to do something.

You don’t have to
pull yourself up (by the bootstraps),
find a way (to conquer the odds),
be stronger,
or transform yourself
(into some better version of yourself).

The pain you feel
(whatever the degree)
may be a reminder
that things
are not
as they should be,
in which case it is appropriate
to mourn the gravity of that brokenness.  …

My prayer for you is that …
you will begin to comprehend the height, depth, and length of the love of Jesus
right in the very middle
of your present suffering.”