I find myself pondering a wide variety of deep questions during this pandemic. How about you? Being home alone 99% of the time gives me much opportunity for that. I’ve posed a few of those questions through this blog over the past weeks since our worlds have been turned upside down with COVID-19.

As I’ve shared those, I wonder if it helps you all to look at things differently as well, or if it feels like I’m a bit too much “in your face.” I hope this week’s message hasn’t crossed over that line from challenging into offensive!

Since I begin by asking myself these questions, I hope you’ll understand that I view this as a virtual brainstorming session with my readers. Once again, food for thought.

As the challenges and isolation of the pandemic continue, I find myself becoming more and more weary of it. I’m tired of being alone all the time. Tired of not seeing so many of my friends. Tired of wearing the mask every time I get groceries. Tired of my speaking ministry grinding to a halt. Tired of my hair getting so long that I can’t do a thing with it.

Those are the kinds of declarations that immediately sent me to the title question, “Do We Suffer Well?” Based on my litany of “problems,” I’d say I’m failing miserably. Apparently, I want company in my misery, so I’ve brought you all into this as well!

Let me first acknowledge that millions of people have legitimately deep challenges because of the pandemic. Just last week the news reported that over 20 million people in the United States have filed for unemployment. That’s staggering. And unprecedented.

In addition to losing jobs, people have lost loved ones and businesses and wealth, and suffered from scores of other truly devastating situations. While I’m not posing this question to that group, necessarily, I do speak to all of us a bit later.

I want to focus on those of us who have the kinds of complaints that I listed earlier. No one is saying that these aren’t difficult times. But how much of our complaining is because our lives, especially in this country, have been incredibly blessed? Have years of relative prosperity blinded us to what true suffering is? Do we expect our lives to be primarily trouble-free, and are thus disappointed, at best, or devastated, at worst, with what our lives look like today?

I’m always amazed at the reactions of the poor families in Haiti or Africa or other undeveloped nations who have dealt with earthquakes, hurricanes, famines, and genocide, to name a few, and yet can display joy in the midst of that chaos. There’s a lesson for all of us in their response.

So I’m declaring right now that all the problems I complain about are nothing more than inconveniences and irritations. I want to “count it all joy” when I’m tempted to gripe once again. That’s my challenge to all of you as well. Let’s collectively look for the blessings we still have in our lives. Or the blessings we NOW have because of the pandemic. We all have them.

I want to close with some scripture texts that give us the biblical perspective we all desperately need during this time. This advice applies to those of us bothered with inconveniences as well those whose lives have been devastated by this pandemic. My prayer is that we will acknowledge that God is working in all our lives through this season, regardless of how difficult it is. And that we tap into his peace and patience and joy, so that our lives may be a witness to the world around us. May we all learn to suffer well.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us (Romans 8:18).

More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us (Romans 5:3-5).

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (James 1:2-4).

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world (John 16:33)

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us (Hebrews 12:1).

Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world (Philippians 2:14-15).