Your suffering is valuable. Don't let it go to waste

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“Your suffering is valuable. Don’t let it go to waste.”

That’s something a priest told me the other day that I have remembered since. I’ve read many of you, and many of you have so many crosses to bear, and I know it’s tough to hang in there and keep your focus on trusting God’s will.

I thought the priest’s advice was fairly inspiring and of course true. So much of what Paul said revolved around accepting suffering and the value of overcoming it for the benefit of the Body of Christ.

So for anyone interested, I wanted to pass that little quip along.
 
Thanks for sharing.

Any suggestions on how to put it to good use? There are several threads about or by those suffering, mostly focussing on the why’s or the how’s but none on making it count…
 
MarcoPolo said:
“Your suffering is valuable. Don’t let it go to waste.”

That’s something a priest told me the other day that I have remembered since. I’ve read many of you, and many of you have so many crosses to bear, and I know it’s tough to hang in there and keep your focus on trusting God’s will.

I thought the priest’s advice was fairly inspiring and of course true. So much of what Paul said revolved around accepting suffering and the value of overcoming it for the benefit of the Body of Christ.

So for anyone interested, I wanted to pass that little quip along.
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Thank you and Amen.

The trick is how to do it joyfully and not despair. Anyone figure out how to do this? :o
 
seekerz said:
Any suggestions on how to put it to good use?
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Joab_Anias said:
The trick is how to do it joyfully and not despair. Anyone figure out how to do this? :o
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Well as Father Corapi says, you should “offer it up.” Meaning you should pray when you suffer that your suffering be made beneficial to the Body of Christ, that the souls in Purgatory be granted mercy, that God uses your suffering to draw you toward Him (Heb 12:5-8), and that God’s grace abound in the world. See when you suffer in innocence, it is Christ’s suffering within you and that is why it is efficacious.

As to being joyful in suffering, I take Paul’s advice not so much as meaning that he “enjoys” physical or emotional pain. After all, Christ was in much agony in the garden…He certainly didn’t “rejoice” in a human sense. Sorrow is not a bad thing (Rm 12:15). I take Paul to have a deeper spiritual joy, knowing that his own acceptance of suffering in innocence is pleasing to God and beneficial to the Body.

So putting it in practice to me means praying during suffering, asking God to work through your suffering for the benefit of the Body of Christ, His Church. You can also ask for mercy.
 
MarcoPolo said:
Well as Father Corapi says, you should “offer it up.” Meaning you should pray when you suffer that your suffering be made beneficial to the Body of Christ, that the souls in Purgatory be granted mercy, that God uses your suffering to draw you toward Him (Heb 12:5-8), and that God’s grace abound in the world. See when you suffer in innocence, it is Christ’s suffering within you and that is why it is efficacious.

As to being joyful in suffering, I take Paul’s advice not so much as meaning that he “enjoys” physical or emotional pain. After all, Christ was in much agony in the garden…He certainly didn’t “rejoice” in a human sense. Sorrow is not a bad thing (Rm 12:15). I take Paul to have a deeper spiritual joy, knowing that his own acceptance of suffering in innocence is pleasing to God and beneficial to the Body.

So putting it in practice to me means praying during suffering, asking God to work through your suffering for the benefit of the Body of Christ, His Church. You can also ask for mercy.
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Yup, I know all that but in the heat of the sorrow the last thing I ever feel is Joy. I have come to realize trials must come and often wonder what end God has in mind when they do but just when I get a handle on resignation they get worse. :o I’m not talking about small things either. I must need alot or purgatory in this life because I have endured some tragic chastisements. I know other people do too but to find Joy in them escapes me.
 
St Theresa the Little Flower use to say something in the order of,
“Don’t waste your suffering by belly-aching over it.”

Jim
 
Joab_Anias said:
just when I get a handle on resignation they get worse. :o I’m not talking about small things either.
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How interesting you should mention that, because I’ve found the same thing in my life. Sometimes it has frustrated me that no one seems to understand or be able to explain why that is so.

As long as I’m bearing it patiently, it only gets worse; when I cave in and “give up” (i.e. get negative in my perspective), then things seem to let up. Wacky, but that has been my experience…
 
seekerz said:
How interesting you should mention that, because I’ve found the same thing in my life. Sometimes it has frustrated me that no one seems to understand or be able to explain why that is so.

As long as I’m bearing it patiently, it only gets worse; when I cave in and “give up” (i.e. get negative in my perspective), then things seem to improve. Wacky, but that has been my experience…
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I have litterally been crushed a few times. Then given a new start. I think it happens because I am so prone to pride and God teaches us to rely on Him. Though I have noticed changes for the good later on.

Peace.
 
Joab_Anias said:
Yup, I know all that but in the heat of the sorrow the last thing I ever feel is Joy.
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Well, like I said…the joy is more of a clean conscience to me that I did the right thing by enduring the suffering. It’s not like I would get diagnosed with a disease and then do cartwheels. 😊
 
MarcoPolo said:
Well, like I said…the joy is more of a clean conscience to me that I did the right thing by enduring the suffering. It’s not like I would get diagnosed with a disease and then do cartwheels. 😊
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Yea I suppose. Thanks.
 
Thanking you so much for sharing all these thoughts. I use my St. Therese sacrifice beads daily. And it does not only have to be physical sufferings like pain, I offer up getting up early, if I am hot or cold, I offer up fasting between meals, I offer up my days work is 3 hour intervals, I am in a Catholic weigh loss support group and have been addicted to weighin on the scale every morning, so I offer up fasting from the scale, I work with the public so I offer up having to deal with difficult people, I offer up when I am hungry and we are too busy to stop and eat. Hope this helps.
 
Col 1:24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you and fill up those things that are wanting of the sufferings of Christ, in my flesh, for his body, which is the church:
 
Jesus tells us that we are ALL to take up our cross and follow Him. It is an integral part of being a christian without which we could not be called followers of Jesus.

I cherish the crosses Jesus sends me as hard as they might be and find that each and EVERY day there are so many small crosses or denials that I can take on that come my way. These are the sweat perfume that Jesus takes to His heart through our giving of our own heart, that gift we give truely from our heart not head. Therese once said that most people look for buig things to give but they come once per month where those little things come each and every day.

Crosses and our denials go straight to Jesus when offered in love of our God. Crosses and sufferings are Jesus way and shoul be the way of the true christian when we live in this war torn world.
The victory is in the Cross of Jesus Christ. There is no other victory, all man made wars have no vallour or beauty for it is they that are created through lack of putting the Cross of Jesus in the right place in this world.

Godbless
 
I have a little story to share.

Last week I was coming home from work and all of sudden I was thinking about suffering. I asked Jesus to help me remember to offer up my suffering when I can. To stop abortions or for whatever He wants.

I believe these thoughts were not my own, I believe Jesus popped them into my head because He knew what was going to happen later.

I woke up later in the night with horrible stomache pains and I vomited three times (yuck). I hate vomit. I couldn’t keep anything down. Unfortunately it happened again 12 hours later. It was bad and I am such a wuss.

It was just the stomach flu. I also got my mom and brother sick too. They drank out of a lemonade cup I didn’t finish, lol.
 
BlueRain said:
I have a little story to share.

Last week I was coming home from work and all of sudden I was thinking about suffering. I asked Jesus to help me remember to offer up my suffering when I can. To stop abortions or for whatever He wants.

I believe these thoughts were not my own, I believe Jesus popped them into my head because He knew what was going to happen later.

I woke up later in the night with horrible stomache pains and I vomited three times (yuck). I hate vomit. I couldn’t keep anything down. Unfortunately it happened again 12 hours later. It was bad and I am such a wuss.

It was just the stomach flu. I also got my mom and brother sick too. They drank out of a lemonade cup I didn’t finish, lol.
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The day before this thread appeared me and my girlfriend each had tough days at work and were discussing suffering.

Later on that evening Fr. Corapi was on and guess what he was talking about, suffering.

Then I happened on this thread.

Then again today the topic came up by a priest who reminded me of the scripture Col 1:24 in post #13.

And then during the evening my devotional reading by chance was in the Imitation of Christ by Kempis, book 2 chapter 5. Also much about suffering.

Work tonight went smooth though. Phew! 😉
 
I have been constantly suffering for all my life. I am stating a fact and not looking for pity. I really hat pity really.
I just almost died 2 times in the last 3 months because of…first time an operation and 2nd luing infection(I have copd/asthma too) and the anti-biotics were not working. I think they are finally working and I am home from the hospital and it is another long haul. I am 51 and I was abused,emotionally,phsysically,sexually almost all my life among other many sufferings.
I actually am pretty ok with suffering becuase I have come to learn that Jesus loves me through it and many other blessings.
The only question I wonder is: if I caused my own suffering,such as If I was a smoker and got lung problems…does my suffering still ‘count’ for offering it for myself,family and others?
 
MarcoPolo said:
“Your suffering is valuable. Don’t let it go to waste.”

That’s something a priest told me the other day that I have remembered since. I’ve read many of you, and many of you have so many crosses to bear, and I know it’s tough to hang in there and keep your focus on trusting God’s will.

I thought the priest’s advice was fairly inspiring and of course true. So much of what Paul said revolved around accepting suffering and the value of overcoming it for the benefit of the Body of Christ.

So for anyone interested, I wanted to pass that little quip along.
Click to expand...
This does help. I had not taken the angle of overcoming for the benefit of the Body of Christ. I had run into the concept before, certainly St. Faustina and others like St. Margaret Mary Alcoque (sp.?) - in their writings. Thanks!
 
Nandarani said:
This does help. I had not taken the angle of overcoming for the benefit of the Body of Christ. I had run into the concept before, certainly St. Faustina and others like St. Margaret Mary Alcoque (sp.?) - in their writings. Thanks!
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Its in the Bible too:

Col 1:24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you and fill up those things that are wanting of the sufferings of Christ, in my flesh, for his body, which is the church:

Peace.
 
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