There is much to remember when one is suffering or when we are seeking to minister to others going through deep waters.
Imagine you are walking down the street with a friend. You fall and mess your knees up pretty badly. Nothing life-threatening, but it hurts like crazy. As you are groaning over the pain, your friend looks at you and says, “Oh don’t complain. People are starving in the Congo. And don’t forget all the people who are dying of cancer.”
It is true that we should keep the suffering of others before us when we go through our own suffering. Peter gives instruction us on this very thing (see I Pet. 5:9).
However, there are other biblical truths we need to remember when we suffer. Proverbs 14:10 says, “The heart knows its own bitterness and a stranger does not share its joy.” Yes, knee pain is put in better perspective when we remember those who experience more serious types of suffering. However, pain is pain and badly bruised knees still hurt!
It seems too many of us either act as if the knee pain doesn’t exist or imagine it is the worst form of suffering known to mankind. Neither extreme does justice to what the Bible teaches us.
