Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
Romans 5:3-5
I arrived in Las Vegas last night with my kids to have a short fun weekend getaway. The book I brought to read during my downtimes is “The Road Less Traveled” by Dr. M. Scott Peck. The first chapter of this book tackles with humans’ tendency to avoid facing our problems. Yet the avoidance of facing our problems actually creates a bigger problem. Dr. Peck wrestles with the Jungian concept of legitimate suffering, which is the necessary and informative pain we need to endure in order to heal or grow. Occasionally spiritual growth can be euphoric and enjoyable, but most of what healthy spirituality looks like is mundane, unrewarded, and even painful; it’s when Jesus prayed alone in the Garden; it’s when Moses spent time with God in the wilderness; it’s when Queen Esther quietly convinced the King of Persia to save her people. The irony of the fact that I’m reading this book while in Las Vegas doesn’t go pass me; Vegas, the city of distractions, debauchery, and endless entertainment. If there’s anywhere in the world someone can go to avoid legitimate suffering, it’s here. But it does beg the question…
How is God inviting you to enter into your own legitimate suffering?
Last week I left you with a quote from psychiatrist Carl Jung, and today I leave you with another.
“Neurosis is always a substitute for legitimate suffering.”
–Carl Jung
