suffering isn't optional: do it right
"Endure and Conquer."
--Virgil
--Virgil
“Endure and Conquer.” In the great epic of The Aeneid, the poet puts these words into the mouth of his hero at a moment when his small band of survivors have fled the burning city of Troy, defeated by the Greeks. He was encouraging his followers to endure the difficulty of exile, and by so doing, they would eventually conquer their circumstances and find a new home.
This great insight of Virgil’s hits upon two vital principles to keep in mind while you fight through the trials of life: 1) suffering will come; and 2) you can overcome whatever challenges you face.
Jesus stated it this way: “These things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
You may never be sick a day of your life. You may grow up in a comfortable, loving home. You may get into a good school and get the job you want. You may find the wife of your dreams. But something will go wrong—somewhere. The universe is not in your control, and we live in a world of sin and darkness. Though men have tried to convince themselves that life is perfectible, it is not. Pain is a much-denied aspect of real life.
You must be prepared to face it well. This is not a philosophy of pessimism. No one should live day-to-day expecting things to go wrong. What these statements get us to see is that the nature of life, the reality of this fallen world, and the rules of the universe all testify to the fact that no one has a perfect life. Such an expectation is a chimera, a fantasy, a dream that never comes to pass—not for the individual and not for society as a whole. It isn’t possible because of the realities of fallen, sinful human nature.
The question is not, is there suffering? But how do you face inevitable suffering?
Those with no hope in Christ use drugs, alcohol, money, power, and sex to compensate for the pain. These lead only to further pain and eventual despair. Jesus tells us to take on His peace. We need not despair, even though the pain may sometimes be unbearable. There is always hope for the child of God, because his ultimate end will be life everlasting with God, no matter the consequences of the tribulation. We have every reason to remain hopeful. Jesus “overcame” the world, and so will His followers. It will not defeat us.
While told in a strictly pagan context, this is similar to what Virgil means by “endure.” Yes, things look doubtful, dark, and hopeless, but hold on. Endure. Grit your teeth, bear it, and move forward with what needs to be done, trusting all the while in God’s mercy and grace. In fact, it is through this endurance and reliance upon God in our time of need where we “conquer.” What do we conquer? We conquer that challenge that tried to destroy us: the enemy, the despair, the loss, the physical pain, the reversal of fortunes. The way to overcome is to endure it, to get closer to God through prayer, and to come out of it the other side—as a better, more noble man. If you endure successfully you will come out the other side with grace and authority infused into your character.
These words, I know, are easy to say when all is going well. I have been in the middle of suffering where it was so very easy to give up and give in. Endurance is not pleasant.
So, how do we ensure we get through it? First, we must remind ourselves that it will not last forever. It is temporary. We try not to think about it too deeply. It is times of great pain where we must show great discipline in directing our thoughts, our attention, our meditations towards God’s goodness. It is those times we need inspiring thoughts, encouraging words, uplifting images. The book of Psalms is the Christian’s book of encouragement. Read them and read them again. Train your mind to think as God thinks by meditating upon God’s Words and His promises of deliverance.
King David (the author of many of those Psalms) knew what suffering was all about through his own trials and tribulations. At one point, while running from King Saul who was trying to kill him, even David’s own followers wanted to get rid of him because their entire group of women, children, and treasure had been taken by yet another enemy. How did he respond? The same way you and I must. “…but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God” (1 Sam. 30:6).
Where does your help come from when you have no control over the situation? There is only one source—the Creator Himself. It is up to you to look to Him for that grace and strength you need.
“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth” (Ps. 121:1, 2).
Return to Words to Live By
This great insight of Virgil’s hits upon two vital principles to keep in mind while you fight through the trials of life: 1) suffering will come; and 2) you can overcome whatever challenges you face.
Jesus stated it this way: “These things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
You may never be sick a day of your life. You may grow up in a comfortable, loving home. You may get into a good school and get the job you want. You may find the wife of your dreams. But something will go wrong—somewhere. The universe is not in your control, and we live in a world of sin and darkness. Though men have tried to convince themselves that life is perfectible, it is not. Pain is a much-denied aspect of real life.
You must be prepared to face it well. This is not a philosophy of pessimism. No one should live day-to-day expecting things to go wrong. What these statements get us to see is that the nature of life, the reality of this fallen world, and the rules of the universe all testify to the fact that no one has a perfect life. Such an expectation is a chimera, a fantasy, a dream that never comes to pass—not for the individual and not for society as a whole. It isn’t possible because of the realities of fallen, sinful human nature.
The question is not, is there suffering? But how do you face inevitable suffering?
Those with no hope in Christ use drugs, alcohol, money, power, and sex to compensate for the pain. These lead only to further pain and eventual despair. Jesus tells us to take on His peace. We need not despair, even though the pain may sometimes be unbearable. There is always hope for the child of God, because his ultimate end will be life everlasting with God, no matter the consequences of the tribulation. We have every reason to remain hopeful. Jesus “overcame” the world, and so will His followers. It will not defeat us.
While told in a strictly pagan context, this is similar to what Virgil means by “endure.” Yes, things look doubtful, dark, and hopeless, but hold on. Endure. Grit your teeth, bear it, and move forward with what needs to be done, trusting all the while in God’s mercy and grace. In fact, it is through this endurance and reliance upon God in our time of need where we “conquer.” What do we conquer? We conquer that challenge that tried to destroy us: the enemy, the despair, the loss, the physical pain, the reversal of fortunes. The way to overcome is to endure it, to get closer to God through prayer, and to come out of it the other side—as a better, more noble man. If you endure successfully you will come out the other side with grace and authority infused into your character.
These words, I know, are easy to say when all is going well. I have been in the middle of suffering where it was so very easy to give up and give in. Endurance is not pleasant.
So, how do we ensure we get through it? First, we must remind ourselves that it will not last forever. It is temporary. We try not to think about it too deeply. It is times of great pain where we must show great discipline in directing our thoughts, our attention, our meditations towards God’s goodness. It is those times we need inspiring thoughts, encouraging words, uplifting images. The book of Psalms is the Christian’s book of encouragement. Read them and read them again. Train your mind to think as God thinks by meditating upon God’s Words and His promises of deliverance.
King David (the author of many of those Psalms) knew what suffering was all about through his own trials and tribulations. At one point, while running from King Saul who was trying to kill him, even David’s own followers wanted to get rid of him because their entire group of women, children, and treasure had been taken by yet another enemy. How did he respond? The same way you and I must. “…but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God” (1 Sam. 30:6).
Where does your help come from when you have no control over the situation? There is only one source—the Creator Himself. It is up to you to look to Him for that grace and strength you need.
“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth” (Ps. 121:1, 2).
Return to Words to Live By