Suffer Better (Enhanced)

Before we begin I want you guys to ask yourself what sufferings have been going through lately?

Today I want to talk about Hebrews 2:10 “10 For it was fitting for God—for whom and through whom all things exist—in leading many sons to glory, to perfect through sufferings the initiator of their salvation.”

To perfect through sufferings the initator of their salvation? What does that mean? Well Yeshua is the initator of our salvation, but how can He be perfected? Wasn’t He already perfect?

To understand this, let’s look at James 2:22 (NASB 1995):

"You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected."

Here, faith is perfected—or made complete—through works. In a similar way, Yeshua’s faith wasn’t incomplete in a sinful sense, but His faith was fully demonstrated and completed through His obedience to God’s plan, through suffering.

I want you to imagine a large ship, perfectly designed —unsinkable even! (But don’t think Titanic.) There’s only one problem: it’s still at dry dock. It hasn’t been tested in the water. Until the ship floats and withstands the waves, its seaworthiness can’t be proven.

Faith is like that ship. It’s not until it’s tested—put through trials—that its strength and reliability are proven. In the same way that a ship must be tested to prove its seaworthiness, Yeshua’s faith was tested and perfected through His obedience to God’s plan—even to the point of suffering on the Roman cross. Without that suffering, His mission would not have been complete.

And so suffering was essential for Yeshua to carry out God’s plan and perfecting of His faith. But so what? What does that mean for you and I?

Philippians 3:10 tells us we’re called to share in His sufferings, and James 1:2-4 explains that suffering produces endurance, maturity, and perfection in our faith.

Just as Yeshua’s suffering was necessary for His mission of salvation, so too is our suffering necessary for our sanctification and the perfection of our faith

So, let me ask you again: What suffering are you going through right now?

Are you mourning the loss of a loved one? Are you struggling with a broken relationship? Are dealing with loneliness, feeling like no one truly sees or understands you? Are you staring down your mortality as each day passes? Are you laying in bed in pain and you can’t eat, and you can’t sleep. And all you can think about is “God why are you doing this to me? Can’t we do this some other way?”

No, brothers and sisters, there is no other way. Don’t be fooled into thinking your suffering is incidental or coincidental to your life. It’s not optional. It’s mandatory. It’s essential.

Listen closely:

There is no plan of God without suffering!

There is no salvation without suffering!

There is no growth without suffering!

There is no perfecting of you except through suffering! Do you see that?!

And so how do you respond to it? Do you respond with doubt and bitterness and surprise as if something strange were happening to you? (1 Peter 4:12)

No, in your suffering turn to Yeshua. Pray for wisdom (James 1:5). Ask God; “where are you trying to grow me?”, “How are you trying to mature me?”, “What is that you want me to learn from this?”

That’s how you suffer better! That’s how God wants you to suffer! Turn to Him, and trust that the purpose of your suffering is your perfection.

If you’ve already trusted in Yeshua, let your suffering be a testimony of His work in your life. Let it point others to His glory.

And if there’s anyone here—or watching online—who has not put their trust in Yeshua yet, I want you to hear this: Your suffering, too, is not meaningless, it has meaning. And that meaning is found in Messiah. Turn to the one who suffered and died for you. Turn to him now, NOW is the day of salvation. Don’t wait another moment before you resolve this question in your head. Stop wasting you time! Don’t wait until tomorrow, because tomorrow might never come. Don’t even wait until you get home because today might just be the day, you don’t get to get home.

Turn to Yeshua and know that while your suffering is not optional, it’s mandatory. It’s also not in vain, there is purpose to it; your perfection.

“For it is fitting for God, for Whom and through Whom all things exist, in leading YOU to glory, to perfect YOU through sufferings.” CNB - (Complete Neal-ish Bible)