Suffering seems to be everywhere. From hurricanes, to floods, to war, and pandemics – society is stretched to its breaking point. Christians often ask, how should we respond to suffering?
The Bible gives us several examples. One excellent example is found in 1 Kings 18-19 surrounding the suffering of Elijah.
Elijah is a mighty prophet, a great man of God, but he is cracking under the pressure of his ministry. The people have turned against him and his message. Though he speaks in the name of the Lord, the people are not listening. Elijah is a great prophet. However, a human being can take only so much disappointment, opposition, and difficulty.
He is despondent; he is suicidal. He travels out into the wilderness and says to God, “Take away my life. I don’t even want to live” (1 Kings 19:4). Then he lies down under a bush and falls into a troubled sleep.
Now here is a despondent man, a bruised man. Here is someone flickering, his candle ready to go out. And he is not handling his suffering and stress all that well. He is not saying, “I’m just rejoicing in the Lord!” No, he wants to die. While Elijah sleeps, God sends him an angel.
The passage reads:
…while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.
All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.
The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. (1 Kings 19: 4-8)
The first response is that we should GO! We should not offer theological solutions to the problem. God sends an angel to this suffering man, and does the angel say, “Repent! How dare you lose hope in me!”? No. Does the angel, on the other hand, say, “Rejoice! I bring good tidings!”? No. Does the angel ask him any probing questions? No. The angel goes and acts. Our first response is to not ignore suffering, but to act.
Second, we should provide comfort. The angel touches him. He does not shake him; he touches him in the way you touch someone in greeting, or in tenderness. There is no substitute for physical contact. A brotherly hug or touch can provide immense power for healing. In these times of social-distancing touch is often not possible. However, when physical touch is not an option, we can “touch” with our eyes. We can “touch” with our presence (6-ft away!). Someday soon, we will be able to hug again!
Third, we should provide for the material needs of the sufferer. In this example the angel cooks him a meal. This is a call for us, as believers, to reach out in the name of Jesus to provide food, shelter, and basic necessities for survival. Cook a meal, mow a yard, or bring in a trashcan.
Fourth the angel speaks encouragement: “You need more strength for the journey.” And after letting Elijah sleep some more, he cooks for him again. If you read the narrative, you know this is not all that Elijah needs. But now is not the time for theological conversation. Now is a time to encourage.
Too often we want to fix the problem and we become too much like Job’s friends. They give advice and make subtle accusations. Tim Keller provides an excellent example on how to respond to sufferers when he writes:
I was sitting, torn by grief. Someone came and talked to me of God’s dealings, of why it happened, of hope beyond the grave. He talked constantly, he said things I knew were true. I was unmoved, except to wish he’d go away. He finally did. Another came and sat beside me. He didn’t talk. He didn’t ask leading questions. He just sat beside me for an hour or more, listened when I said something, answered briefly, prayed simply, left. I was moved. I was comforted. I hated to see him go.[1]
Eventually, God comes to him and challenges Elijah out of despair. God asks him questions, God gets him talking, and God challenges his interpretation of things, showing Elijah it is not as hopeless as he thinks. And God reveals to Elijah that God still has a plan (1 Kings 19:9–17). A fifth response is to wait and allow God to do the heavy lifting. Minister to the physical needs of the sufferer allowing God time to meet the person where they are and heal the suffering.
These five basic steps during suffering may lay the foundation so that God can meet the person in their suffering and provide spiritual healing.
I am honored to be part of the Samaritan’s Purse international disaster assistance response team (DART). As our teams work in crisis areas of the world, people often ask, “Why did you come?” The answer is always the same: “We have come to help you in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.”[2]
I feel Samaritan’s Purse gets it right. When there is immense suffering, they 1) Go, 2) provide emotional contact, 3) deliver material support (regardless of the person’s faith, race, gender identity, or any anything else), 4) encourage, and 5) they allow the love of Jesus to be present through the quality of their actions. The quality of their work is the platform of their witness.[3]
[1] Timothy Keller, Walking with God through Pain and Suffering (New York: Penguin, 2013), 245. Taken originally from The View from a Hearse.
[2] Accessed May 4, 2020. https://www.samaritanspurse.org/our-ministry/about-us/.
[3] Quote from Ken Isaac, Samaritan’s Purse Vice President of Programs and Government Relations.
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