How can I learn to trust Christ more when I am suffering?

Many Christians struggle to trust Christ amid acute suffering. We all battle feelings of doubt and discouragement when God does not save or deliver us from painful trials of loss, heartbreak, illness, or hardship. Sometimes, we might even get angry and blame God for our suffering. Yet Scripture teaches us to expect suffering as an inevitable part of this life and our calling as believers (Matthew 5:10–12; 10:17, 22; Acts 14:22; 2 Timothy 3:12; Philippians 1:29; 1 John 3:13). So how can we learn to trust Christ through the difficulties we suffer?

First, we can be encouraged to know that many Bible figures endured extreme suffering. Their examples teach us how to face painfully challenging times with confidence, hope, faith, and trust in Jesus, who said, “Have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world” (John 16:33, NLT).

Apart from Jesus, perhaps no other person in the Bible suffered more than Job. He experienced intense physical pain, grief, and material loss. Just like we might, Job had difficulty understanding the purpose of his suffering. He was a righteous, blameless “man of complete integrity” who “feared God and stayed away from evil” (Job 1:1, NLT). He did not deserve the chaos and disaster Satan was allowed to inflict on him. Ultimately, Job never received a definitive explanation from God regarding the cause of his suffering. Yet through it all, Job remained tenaciously faithful to the Lord.

One lesson we learn from Job’s story is that suffering can be unrelated to anything we have done. Yet, since God allows suffering into our lives for whatever purpose, we must not let it cause us to question His love for us (Romans 8:35–39). We must trust Christ in the dark. Such suffering proves the authenticity of our commitment to Christ and produces righteousness in the true believer (Philippians 3:8; Romans 5:3–4; 2 Corinthians 4:16—5:4; 1 Peter 1:6–7).

Joseph is another person who embodied absolute trust in God despite undergoing great suffering and loss. He was sold into slavery by his brothers, thrown into prison unjustly, and separated from his loved ones for most of his life. But Joseph endured these painful circumstances by depending on God for strength (Hebrews 11:22). In the end, Joseph learned that his suffering was part of God’s plan to bring about a greater good: “You intended to harm me,” he told his brothers, “but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people” (Genesis 50:20, NLT).

The apostle Paul experienced his share of suffering (Acts 9:29; 16:23; 2 Corinthians 6:5; 11:23–27; 1 Thessalonians 2:2) yet encouraged believers to “always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18, NLT). Paul had come to understand that God is sovereign and ultimately controls our lives. For this reason, Paul could say, “I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:12–13, NLT). Paul’s trust in God was total. Once, the apostle pleaded with God three times to heal him of a painful “thorn in the flesh,” but when God did not, Paul resolved in weakness to trust in the all-sufficient resource of God’s grace (see 2 Corinthians 12:8–9).

Although we may not understand why we suffer, we can trust God’s purpose in allowing it. At times, suffering is God’s way of disciplining us as His children (Hebrews 12:6, 11; Psalm 119:67). God may choose to bring correction for sin through a painful ordeal (see Isaiah 38:17). “For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights” (Proverbs 3:12, NLT).

Jesus compares the Father’s corrective discipline to the pruning of branches. Sometimes the necessary pruning is severe (see John 15:1–17). The Father must cut off the dead wood and shoots that aren’t producing fruit. He trims back the unproductive growth so that spiritual fruit can grow. The process may be painful, but it is for our good.

If we find ourselves in an uncomfortable trial, rather than blame God, our first response should be to examine our lives to see if God desires to discipline us and correct some sinful behavior. We can be glad and thankful that we are His children.

Suffering gets our attention (Psalm 119:71). C. S. Lewis excellently expressed, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world” (The Problem of Pain, Bles, 1940, p. 81). Suffering forces us to give up reliance on our own strength and sufficiency and throw ourselves on the mercy and grace of God (see 2 Corinthians 1:9; 1 Peter 4:19).

When we suffer, Satan wants us to blame God. That was his plan with Job. Instead, like Job, may we let our pain draw us closer to the Lord (see Job 13:15; 42:5). May we put our hope in Him to discipline, correct, and redirect our lives. May we examine our hearts for sin and our spiritual walks for areas where God might desire to develop character, prompt growth, or lead us down a different path. No matter what we suffer, may we always trust that God is working all things for our good and His higher purpose, knowing that we will emerge victorious in the end (Romans 8:28–39).