Pray
Gather together as a community in a comfortable setting. Have one person read 1 Peter 5:10 over the group and then pray to ask the Holy Spirit to lead and guide your time together.
Recap
Try as we might, there’s no way to avoid suffering. The universe is a vast and complex web of details, populated by free beings, both physical and spiritual. In his infinite wisdom, God saw fit to give us autonomy so that our love for him could be a genuine choice. But because of all this, we experience suffering – it’s not if, but when.
The world wants to stave off suffering, doing all they can to limit their experience of pain. But in doing so, they miss the unique ability that suffering has to bring about growth and depth of character within us. Because while God does not cause or will our pain and suffering, he is good, smart, and creative enough to work within our suffering to bring out of it something for our benefit.
Like a refining fire that purifies gold, suffering can melt away our hard hearts and deepen our sense of humility and empathy. Suffering often reveals what we have taken for granted in our lives, and leads us to a renewed sense of gratitude and joy. But we must be mindful that we suffer well. To suffer in isolation or with a sense of self obsession, anger, and shame only leads to our destruction. Instead, we must embrace community, prayer, and healthy life rhythms, and always hold onto the hope that Jesus walks beside us in our suffering.
Discuss
- What was your experience with doing last week’s prayer meditation?
- What did you take away from the most recent teaching?
- How has a time of suffering in your life grown your maturity or deepened your character?
- What do you think of the idea that God does not cause our suffering, but that he can repurpose it for our good?
Practice
The practice this week is to process with God how it is that you respond to suffering. Do you do it well, or decidedly less so? To do this, you will spend time in listening prayer and journaling. Set aside about 10 minutes in your normal rhythm of spending time with God for this exercise.
First, find a quiet and comfortable setting, and have a way to take notes. Spend a moment in prayer, recognizing that the Spirit of Jesus is with you, and thanking him for his presence. Next, invite Jesus to speak to you about the ways that you have historically responded to suffering. If you have specific instances that come to mind, ask Jesus to walk through those moments with you in your memory, pointing out the ways that you handled that suffering, whether positive or negative. As you do this, write down what Jesus says.
After you’ve spent a few minutes doing this, ask the Spirit for wisdom and to show you ways you could better respond to suffering. What things should change or stay the same? What are some ways you could work with the Spirit of God within your suffering so that you experience growth and a deepening of your character? Once again, write down what the Spirit says. When you are finished, close your time by reading 1 Peter 1:3-9 as a prayer.
Come to your next community night ready to share about your experience.
Pray
End by having someone read 1 Peter 1:6-7 as a prayer over the group.