Suffering Saints

Peace Is Not the Enemy of Holiness
 
I have spent a great deal of time thinking about Paul.
Paul was radical long before his conversion.
Even in his days as Saul, there was intensity within him — absolute conviction, relentless pursuit, intellectual sharpness, and a willingness to destroy what he believed opposed truth.
Radical men rarely become moderate overnight.
 
I often wonder how much guilt Paul carried after encountering Christ.
A man who once persecuted believers now becoming one of the loudest voices for the Gospel — that kind of transformation must have carried both awe and anguish.
Paul understood suffering deeply.
And in many ways, suffering became woven into how he understood devotion, endurance, sacrifice, and holiness.
 
This is not criticism of Paul.
I honor him greatly.
But I do think it is important to recognize that every writer of Scripture was still a human being with personality, history, temperament, wounds, strengths, and perspective.
God inspired Scripture through people — not through emotionless machines.
 
And sometimes within Christianity, especially in deeply passionate circles, we can become so drawn to radical devotion that we stop questioning whether some of our beliefs about suffering are actually producing life.
 
I am not speaking against surrender to God.
I am not speaking against sacrifice, discipline, obedience, or endurance.
I am speaking about the danger of embracing suffering itself as though suffering alone is proof of holiness.
 
There is a difference.
 
As believers, our understanding continues to unfold as we walk with the Holy Spirit.
That is why I have become cautious about dogmatism.
There are mysteries within God that no human being fully possesses.
We learn.
We grow.
We mature.
We see through the glass more clearly over time.
 
There are a few truths I personally consider absolute:
God is the Creator.
Jesus Christ is the only way to the Father.
Scripture is inspired by God and reveals His heart through those He chose to speak through.
 
But beyond those foundational truths, humility matters.
Because revelation continues unfolding throughout our lives.
 
One thing I have learned personally is this:
If a person believes they are meant only to suffer, eventually they may stop fighting for healing, liberty, peace, joy, rest, and wholeness.
They begin to romanticize brokenness.
 
And that concerns me deeply.
 
Christ suffered to bring us freedom.
Yes, believers will encounter suffering in this world.
Pain is unavoidable in human life.
But I do not believe we are meant to worship suffering itself or build our identity around perpetual torment.
 
Some Christians almost feel guilty pursuing peace.
Guilty for resting.
Guilty for healing.
Guilty for desiring joy.
Guilty for wanting abundant life.
As though freedom somehow dishonors God.
 
I no longer believe that.
 
I am a mother.
I take no pleasure in watching my child suffer.
How much more does our Heavenly Father love us?
 
Will hardship come?
Absolutely.
Will sacrifice sometimes be required?
Of course.
Can God call certain people into difficult assignments?
Without question.
 
But I do not believe every believer is called to embrace misery as a permanent spiritual identity.
 
And honestly, much of my own physical condition today is the result of living like a martyr for too long.
Ignoring my body.
Ignoring rest.
Ignoring emotional exhaustion.
Believing constant depletion somehow made me more spiritual.
 
It did not make me more whole.
It made me unable to live fully.
Unable to minister fully.
Unable to enjoy the abundant life Christ spoke of.
 
There is a difference between carrying a cross
and carrying unnecessary self-destruction.
 
Paul’s life contained tremendous suffering, imprisonment, persecution, and sacrifice.
That was part of his assignment.
But I do not believe every believer must mirror every aspect of Paul’s personal path in order to be pleasing to God.
 
The Holy Spirit is faithful to lead us individually.
If we begin moving down unhealthy paths, He corrects us.
If we drift, He draws us back.
If we harden ourselves unnecessarily, He softens us again if we allow Him to.
 
So seek peace, pursue it.
Seek joy.
Seek wholeness.
Pursue healing without guilt.
 
And if suffering comes, God will sustain you through it.
But do not build your entire identity around pain.
 
Peace is not the enemy of holiness.
Sometimes peace is the evidence
that healing has finally begun.
 
Love,
Jenny