TEXT: Psalm 39:9

SUBJECT: Mute Christian #3

Tonight, with God’s help, we’ll continue the Puritan study we started two weeks ago. The author is Thomas Brooks; the title is The Mute Christian Under the Smarting Rod; the subject is suffering quietly.

To suffer quietly doesn’t mean to deny all feelings or pretend everything is right. No, it means to submit to the pains of life without yelling at God, sulking, or dumping all over people.

That can only be done—the Puritan says—if you’re moved by holy principles. To suffer with grace, you must believe in the sovereignty of God, His justice and His goodness.

Why should you accept suffering with a good attitude? Brooks gives you eight reasons to do it. We looked at the first four last week. They are:

1. You should suffer silently so you can hear the voice of God speaking in your pain.
2. …So that you will be different from the unsaved people around you.
3. …So you can follow the example of Jesus Christ.
4. …Because the worst suffering is morally better than the least murmuring.

A man comes up to you with a story of desperate need. He lost his job, medical expenses wiped out his savings, his car was repossessed, he was evicted from his home; he has no family or friends to turn to; the rescue mission is full; the government won’t send him a check. If you don’t help him, he’s going to starve or die of exposure.

You’re moved by his plight, take out your wallet, and hold out a thousand dollar bill.

But he doesn’t take it. Why not? Because he’s wringing his hands or tearing out his hair or waving his arms wildly. Until he settles down, he cannot take your gift. It’s there for him, but he has to reach out for it.

The same is true of your problems. When the Lord brings pain into your life, He brings comfort too. II Corinthians 1:4-5 says so,

Many believers have confirmed this truth. Three friends of mine have had cancer in the last couple of years (one has it right now). Separately, each one has told me how near the Lord drew to him in his sickness. All three gave thanks for their cancer. Because, in it, they felt the love of God in ways they never had before.

But there’s more to the story. My friends all said they didn’t know that love until they quit being so mad at God. Until they stopped screaming and pouting and dumping all over people.

The comfort was there all along. But they were too busy wringing their hands to open them to receive it.

That’s a hard lesson to learn. But learn it we must. Better to learn it in the Puritan Academy than in the School of Hard Knocks. Here’s the quote,

You ought to suffer quietly so you can take the mercies God gives you with every problem. That’s Number One.

A stubborn child will fight his parents until they give in. A family goes shopping one night and the little boy sees a toy he wants. He asks for it but Dad says "no". If asking doesn’t work, he knows what will: He lies on the floor, kicks and screams until Dad buys him what he wants.

This works with many fathers. If you nag them enough or loudly enough, they’ll give in.

But there’s One Father this never works with! Your heavenly Father. You cannot blackmail the Lord. You can stamp your feet; you can sulk; you can hold your breath; you can hoot and howl. But He won’t give in to your demands. He won’t take away your problems because you got mad enough.

Throwing a fit will not get you what you want. But it may get you what you don’t want. It may get you a problem a lot worse than the one you’re so mad about. The Puritan says,

God does not give in to the threats of His children. Nor should He. It’s bad for you. I know a man who’s impossible to live with. He’s the most stubborn, self-righteous, cruel and cunning person I’ve ever known. One day I was talking to his sister and she told me how it all started. When he was a little boy, the family would go shopping. He’d ask for something and his dad would say "No". Then, he would lie down on the floor, kick and scream until he got what he wanted. The father was too weak to stand up to the boy’s temper tantrums. He ruined him by giving in to his blackmail.

Our Father in Heaven won’t make that mistake. He knows how to shut the sassy mouth. But good.

You should suffer quietly because getting mad at God is pointless. That’s Number Two.

There’s nothing Satan loves more than to see God’s people pouting about their problems. And why not? It reeks of unbelief and despair and self-righteousness. It often has more than a pinch of blasphemy in it. Or even atheism.

What could make the devil happier than to hear Christians abusing God?

Do you want to give Satan cause to celebrate? If you don’t, suffer with grace. Here’s the quote,

If you want to make the devil unhappy, suffer without murmuring. That’s Number Three.

If you read the Bible, you’ll find many people suffering with grace. Think of Joseph, betrayed by his brothers. Or Moses under a barrage of unfair criticism. Or Job, looking at ten dead children, and worshiping the Lord. Or Paul, loving the brethren who broke his heart. Or Stephen, praying for the men who were killing him. .

Because they’re in the Bible, we tend to think they were superhuman. Either they were less tempted than we are or had something we don’t. Neither one is true. They were as weak as we are, as stupid, and as sinful. They didn’t have a Bigger God than we have, either. Yet they were not complainers. They suffered quietly.

Because God’s grace was sufficient for them. And for you.

Their example ought to inspire you. It is possible so suffer in life without going to pieces. Without denying God or making a spectacle of yourself.

Their lives were put in the Bible—not to make you feel guilty—but to give you confidence in God. If God could keep Joseph sweet in a stinking dungeon, He can do the same for you.

You have to suffer. We all do. But you don’t have to suffer with a loud mouth or a bitter heart. If you are that way, (a) don’t justify yourself—it’s wrong; (b) confess your sins to the Lord; (c) Remember His loving sovereignty; and (d) "Deny yourself, take up your cross daily, and follow Christ".

When you do, you’ll find what Paul did in his pain,