The Lord sends affliction and we ask Him to take it away. It’s a response common to all Christians, and it’s not necessarily a wrong thing in itself. But, in light of the Scriptures’ teaching about affliction, are there are other responses that our Father in heaven would like to see in us?
“Before I was afflicted I went astray, But now I keep Your word” (Ps. 119:67). “It is good for me that I have been afflicted, That I may learn Your statutes” (Ps. 119:71). “I know, O LORD, that Your judgments are right, And that in faithfulness You have afflicted me” (Ps. 119:75). “Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls—Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation” (Hab. 3:17–18). “But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God” (1 Pet. 2:20). “But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed” (1 Pet. 3:14). “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing” (Jam. 1:3–4). “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Cor. 4:16–18). “My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the LORD loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives. If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (Heb. 12:7–11). “Neither this [blind] man nor his parents have sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him” (John 9:3).
Among the purposes our Father has when He chastens us are these: 1) that we may be an example of faithfulness and patience to others, 2) that He may correct our sins, 3) that we may learn His statutes, 4) that we may increase in patience and mature in godliness, 5) that we may turn away from perishing earthly things, and pursue the kingdom of heaven and its righteousness, 6) that He may be able to display His mighty works in us, 7) that He may prepare us for glory and give to us there a greater reward than we would receive if we did not suffer here. No doubt other reasons are possible, but the point the Scriptures make in all of them is that Our Father loves us and chastens us for our profit.
Asking the Lord to take away our afflictions is not sinful. Paul asked three times for the removal of his thorn in the flesh. David prayed for the son of Bathsheba because he did not want to lose him. Many psalms make such requests: “Bring me out of my distresses” (Ps. 25:17), “O LORD, heal me for my bones are troubled” (Ps. 6:2). “Save me, O God, For the waters have come up to my neck” (Ps. 69:1), and many others. Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself prayed, “Father, if it be possible let this cup pass from me.” “Let your requests be made known to God” (Phil. 4:6).
But should we not also be praying for more than an end to affliction? “Your will be done.” “Use this for my good and the good of others.” “Give me patience so that I may endure cheerfully and without resentment.” “Let me follow the example of my savior who in great temptation did not open His mouth.” “Let me be an example to others.” “Help me to set my affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” He chastens us for our profit. We should be willing to endure chastening so that we may receive the profit our Father intends.
Can we “count it all joy”? Do we expect profit from our affliction? Do we consider, in our afflictions, that God is working through them to make us more fruitful in righteousness? Are we willing to receive them from His hand and to allow Him to use them for our everlasting glory?
This is a hard lesson for us to learn because there are many good things to love here on earth: family, friends, work, beauty, strength, and a thousand others. When affliction comes it takes away or diminishes our pleasure in them, and we want that pleasure back. But God’s ways are not our ways, His purposes for us are good but not necessarily what we want. His wisdom is also greater than ours. He not only knows what we need before we ask, but also that we may need something other than what we ask. We must always be ready to submit to His will. In fact, there should at least be implicit in our prayers for relief from affliction the additional petition, “Not my will but yours be done.” And that petition implies, doesn’t it, that we want His will more than our own?