I will never forget June 22^nd, 1973. I can close my eyes and see the day, smell the air and feel the sweat trickling down my back at 6:00 AM. Major Herring had us check each other’s backpacks to insure they were full and secure. Our rifle and ammunition were fixed firmly into place. Our platoon was ready to face the 26 miles of rugged, unknown hilly terrain and 96 degree/85% humidity weather that lay ahead of us. There would only be a few short stops between here and our objective. We must reach our position before nightfall. That day I experienced stress, pain and exhaustion like never before. Yet, I was a Lieutenant of Marines and there were not options, only new “limits” to push and objectives to be met.

While it’s true that there was physical pain involved, the real agony or suffering most of us experienced that day was the stress of getting safely to our destination. When I consider the 2004 tsunami in Asia and the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, I have to believe those people truly understood suffering like we have never endured. In America and Western Europe, I do not think most of us can relate. What we can relate to is a word used in the Bible for suffering. The Greek word for “suffering” used in the book of Romans is thlipsis. It carries less of a physical context and more of a mental perspective. It means “pressing, pressing together,” or what we commonly refer to as “pressure.” (Strong’s Concordance) Today, we would call it stress or peer pressure which causes anxiety. This is especially true when our morality is impacted. The origin of thlipsis is in the Greek word thlibo, meaning “to press like grapes” or “to follow a narrow, straightened, or contracted way.” I know you can relate to being squeezed for things like time, results, money, and especially your beliefs. You can find a direct correlation between this concept of pressurized suffering and the “narrow path” referred to by Christ as a prerequisite to entering the Kingdom of God. (Matthew 7:13 – 14)

Next, consider the Greek word most often used for suffering, pathēma. This word is often translated as “hardship.” According to Strong’s Concordance, these hardships were actually emotions and “were regarded as consequent upon external influences exerted on the mind.” This word is derived from the Greek pathŏs, which means “primarily denoting whatever one experiences in any way which affects him.” It also carries more of a mental than a physical perspective.

These definitions teach us that the scripture dwells, not on the physical hardships, but the mental/spiritual ones. God wants us to approach them willingly! It is like facing a very important job or work project. You are sure that it will be tough and unnerving, but it must be completed. Wisdom will encourage you by saying, “Let’s get started so we can finish it right the first time, and be the example of Christ others need to see during the process.” No matter what you think, there is always someone who has things worse than you. You are a privileged group – you have the power and security of the Kingdom of God near to you and ready to respond. See the pressure for what it really is – a time of growth!

Love Dad