Finding Rest in a World of Suffering

We live in a culture obsessed with busyness. Our schedules overflow, our minds race, and even when our bodies stop moving, our fingers keep scrolling. Studies now reveal the toll this constant activity takes on our mental health—panic disorders, anxiety, and depression are on the rise. Yet amid this frenzy, we rarely pause to ask: What does spiritual health actually look like?

Here's a fundamental truth we often overlook: relationships require time. You were built for connection—with God and with others—and you need it as desperately as you need water. But without intentionally creating space in your life, genuine relationship becomes impossible. The ancient wisdom of Scripture repeatedly calls us to "wait upon the Lord" and to "be still and know that He is God." This isn't just about physical rest; it's about soul rest.

If the enemy of our souls cannot make us evil, he will simply make us busy. Busyness sabotages our ability to serve God meaningfully, to cultivate deep relationships, and to experience the abundant life we were created for. We cannot skim along the surface like a stone skipping across water and expect to thrive spiritually.

The Reality of a Broken World
To understand rest in the midst of suffering, we must first adjust our expectations. Disappointment stems from unmet or improper expectations, so we need to ask: What should we realistically expect from life on this planet?

Scripture tells us the world was created perfect. We were made for Eden—for flawless relationship with God, with each other, and even with our work. But humanity chose independence over trust, and that choice unleashed a curse that permeates every corner of creation. The ground now produces thorns and thistles. Relationships became battlegrounds for control. Childbearing brings pain. Even our best parenting cannot guarantee our children will choose wisely because they, like us, inherit a sinful nature.

The Apostle Paul captured this reality powerfully in Romans 8:22-23: "We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies."

We are wired for eternity, yet we live in a temporary, broken world. This tension creates a constant ache within us—a sense that something is not as it should be. And we're right. This world is not our true home.

The Uphill Climb
Think of riding a bicycle. Coasting downhill requires minimal effort—you steer, but gravity does the work. Life before the fall was like that: purposeful activity without exhausting strain. But now we live under the gravity of sin, and every day is an uphill climb. Relationships require hard work. Our bodies break down. Spiritual enemies oppose us. Even doing the right thing doesn't guarantee smooth sailing.

First Peter 4:12 warns: "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you." The word "test" here means "to reveal"—suffering exposes what's truly in our hearts, not to shame us but to show us where we need to grow.

Scripture describes various types of suffering: consequences of our own poor choices, pain inflicted by others' decisions, persecution for following Christ, and the simple reality of living in bodies that age and fail. None of this should catch us off guard. This is the world we inhabit.

Jesus: Our Model and Message
Jesus is not only the Gospel—the good news of salvation—He is also our example of how to live in a broken world. He showed us what maturity looks like, what holiness looks like, what love looks like. Romans 8:29 reminds us that God's purpose is to conform us "to the image of his Son."

Remarkably, even Jesus—fully God yet fully man—regularly withdrew to lonely places to pray. He rested His physical body and spent time with the Father in spiritual communion. If the Son of God needed to slow down to stay connected to what the Father was doing, how much more do we?

In Matthew 11:28-29, Jesus extends this invitation: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."

Notice the paradox: Come and rest, but take up a yoke. A yoke is a farming tool used for work, not relaxation. Jesus is saying, "Partner with me in the labor. I'll pull alongside you, and in that partnership, you'll find rest for your soul." Rest doesn't mean the absence of struggle; it means the presence of Jesus in the struggle.

When God Says No to Our Suffering
The Apostle Paul experienced this firsthand. Despite his incredible spiritual experiences and miraculous ministry, he suffered from what he called "a thorn in the flesh"—likely a debilitating physical condition. Three times he pleaded with God to remove it. God's answer? "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

God allowed Paul's suffering to continue for two reasons: to keep him humble and to ensure that God, not Paul, received the glory for the miraculous work being done. Paul's response is instructive: "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me."

Paul found rest not in the removal of suffering but in trusting God's purpose within it. He meditated on God's promises, stood on God's character, and pressed forward with God's strength.

Resting on the Branch
Consider a majestic eagle landing on a tree branch. The bird comes to rest by placing its full weight on the limb, trusting it will hold. Biblical rest works the same way. To rest in Jesus means to place the full weight of your life—your fears, your suffering, your questions, your failures—on Him and His promises.

This isn't passive resignation. It's active trust. When suffering comes, we bring it to God. We ask Him to remove it. If He says no, we rest on what we know about His character: He is good. He has a purpose. He walks with us. He promises eternal life beyond this broken world.

The enemy whispers that our suffering proves God has abandoned us or that we've done something to deserve it. But suffering isn't always punishment, and it doesn't mean God is absent. Sometimes it's discipline that shapes our character. Sometimes it's protection from pride. Sometimes it's simply the reality of living in a fallen world.

Whatever the source, we can rest in this: God uses all things—even suffering—for the good of those who love Him. Our task is to come to Him, place our weight on His promises, and trust Him to carry us through.

This world is filled with suffering, but God walks us through it. And one day, He will make all things new.