The Other Side of a Trial

Neither religious nor non-religious people are exempt from suffering. It is part of the human experience. Despite all of the modern luxuries of our civilization, there is no absolute "solution" to human suffering. 

If a person is hungry, there is food. If a person is cold, there is heat, but true suffering has no instant solution. When a person "hits rock bottom", such as coming to impasse with addiction, death of a loved one,  terminal illness, or something of a seemingly lesser severity there is no true solution. Distractions like drugs (legal or illegal), alcohol, materialism, and unhealthy relationships, along with being a mechanism to induce pain,  are also often a common pacifier, but the pain is still intact, just temporarily disguised while it hides out and strengthens. The expression "time heals all wounds" may be true in some cases, but it has never been prescribed for pancreatic cancer. 

Unquenchable suffering, along with it's close associate death, pose unique challenges to humanity because they are the ultimate expression of our vulnerability. When we confront suffering head on, any plan we made, philosophy we subscribe to, or shoulder we cry on still leave us hurting. This goes for humanists and religious alike. 

If a bout of suffering, which we can call a trial, is anything but gut wrenching, it is not a true trial. There is a lot to be said about the coping mechanisms to make it through a trial, but I think, it's possible, that the most important aspect of a trial is not during the trial itself, but at the end of the trial. 

While spiritual connection can undoubtedly soothe and give purpose to suffering, the aftermath is where the war is ultimately won or lost. As a trial comes to an end, for whatever reason, be it recovery, redemption, death, or another resolution there are two glaring mistakes.

The first mistake is to move on without remembering the suffering and pain, and to fail to discover the lessons or even the purpose of the suffering. One who breathes a sigh of relief and moves on without looking back, fails to posture themselves with gratitude for overcoming, surviving, and learning from the situation. To move on, is a form of denying God and denying yourself the gifts derived from suffering, and possibly to not complete the healing.

The second mistake, inverse of the first, is to dwell on the suffering and to self-victimize. Without a doubt, during a trial, you will suffer, but the mistake is to continue the suffering by negative reflection. In my, extremely unqualified way of thinking, depression is fixating on the bad parts of the past, while anxiety is ruminating on the possible negative events of the future. The remedy for this is gratitude for the present and gratitude for the past trials. 

The gift present on the other side of suffering is the ability to identify as an overcomer. An overcomer has the ability to find strength, meaning, and purpose in the even the worst situations. In order to train soldiers, military leaders induce suffering in order for the future soldier to recognize the value of themselves and the military structure. The soldiers will reflect back on their "training" to give them confidence in the present. I believe God allows trials in our lives for a much higher reason. That is to let us to have ultimate confidence in Him and His divine plan for our live. The gift of recognizing our absolute vulnerability during the trial followed by recognizing God's provision, grace, and absolute power is the paradox which is the heart of the Gospel. Always remembering that the ultimate end to suffering is death, which is our ultimate weakness and is followed by the ultimate victory, which is eternal life in heaven. 

"But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."-2 Corinthians 12:9-10