Don’t Mistake Suffering for Disobediance. Part 1

One of the hardest things about following Jesus is that sometimes the path of obedience leads directly into suffering.

We often assume that if God is calling us somewhere, He will make the path easier. We pray for open doors, clear direction, provision, protection, and success. And certainly, God does provide all of those things at times.

But what do we do when obedience leads somewhere else? What do we do when following Jesus means walking toward difficulty rather than away from it?

Acts 21 gives us a picture of a man who had counted the cost.

After Paul and his companions leave Miletus, they eventually arrive in Tyre. There they seek out the disciples and stay with them for seven days.

I love this about Paul and Luke. Everywhere they go, they don't check into hotels. They look for Christians. Brothers and sisters. They roll into town and the first question they ask is, “Where are our people? Where is the church?”

But what happens during those seven days is fascinating. The disciples tell Paul, “Through the Spirit, they told Paul not to go to Jerusalem” (Acts 21:4).

But Paul is going to Jerusalem anyway. So was Paul disobeying the Holy Spirit?

I don't think so. As we continue reading Acts 21, it becomes increasingly clear that Paul understood exactly what was waiting for him in Jerusalem. In fact, the Holy Spirit had been preparing him for suffering all along.

The problem wasn't that Paul's friends were wrong. The problem was what they concluded from what the Spirit had revealed. Their warning was divine. Their conclusion was human.

They were essentially saying, “Paul, this suffering is coming. Therefore, you shouldn't go.” But Paul seems to have understood something different. The Spirit was revealing what would happen; Paul was discerning what he must do.

That's an important distinction. His friends weren't foolish. They weren't faithless. They weren't trying to undermine God's work. They loved Paul. They wanted to protect him. Their concern was completely understandable.

But well-intentioned people can sometimes unintentionally discourage us from doing the very thing God has called us to do. Sometimes the people who love us most will have the hardest time understanding the cost of our obedience.

And sometimes the reason is simple: They love us.

They don't want to see us suffer. They don't want to watch us sacrifice comfort, security, reputation, or financial stability. And who can blame them?

But following Jesus has never been a promise of an easy life. Jesus Himself said:

“If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me and the gospel will save it.”
—Mark 8:34–35

Jesus didn't hide the cost. He didn't recruit disciples by promising them comfort. He told them to pick up a cross. And a cross is not a symbol of convenience. It is an instrument of suffering.

Sometimes suffering is part of the calling

But, we need to be careful here. Not every difficult circumstance means God wants us to remain in it. Not every hardship is a divine calling. Wisdom, counsel, prayer, and discernment still matter.

But we must also be careful not to assume that suffering automatically means we've missed God's will. Sometimes suffering is part of God's will for His people. God's sovereignty includes the difficult things He ordains for us—not just the pleasant ones. It includes the seasons we spend on Easy Street, but it also includes the seasons we spend on Difficult Drive.

We see this in Jesus Himself. Matthew 16:21 says:

“Jesus began to point out to his disciples that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and to be killed…”

Notice that word: Necessary.

Jesus wasn't accidentally walking into suffering. He wasn't surprised by it. He wasn't failing because it was difficult. He was accomplishing the Father's will through it. And Paul seems to understand that his own calling will require the same kind of costly obedience.

Can you imagine having to wrestle with a question like this? Can you imagine the depth of relationship with God required to even consider it? Can you imagine what it would take to obey God when everyone who loves you is saying, “You have this wrong. You need to go the other direction.”

That's where Paul finds himself. And yet, he keeps walking toward Jerusalem. Not because he loves suffering. Not because he is reckless. Not because he doesn't care what happens to him. But because Christ is worth obeying—even when obedience costs him dearly.

The missionary calling requires us to count the cost

This is especially important for those who sense a calling to missionary work, church planting, or ministry in difficult places. We should never romanticize suffering. We don't send missionaries into difficult places because suffering is inherently good. We don't plant churches in forgotten neighborhoods because hardship makes us more spiritual. We don't ask families to sacrifice because sacrifice itself is the goal.

Jesus is the goal.

But if Jesus calls us somewhere difficult, we must be willing to go. There are places where the work is hard. There are neighborhoods where gospel ministry is slow. There are communities where people aren't asking for another church.

Then there are families who will misunderstand why you moved. There are friends who will question your decision. There may be seasons when financial provision is uncertain, ministry fruit is difficult to see, and the sacrifices seem to pile up. And there may even be moments when the people who love you most wonder whether you should keep going.

Those things don't necessarily mean you've missed God's calling. Sometimes they mean you've begun to understand its cost.

That's why we need more than a desire to do ministry. We need conviction. We need to know what God has called us to do and why. Because eventually. . .

• The excitement wears off. The support emails stop coming.

• The ministry honeymoon ends.

• The building needs repair.

• The neighborhood remains hard.

• The church plant is smaller than you hoped.

• The money doesn't come in as quickly as you expected.

• The people you love don't understand.

And eventually you have to answer a very important question: Is Christ worth it?

So friends, the question isn’t always “How can I avoid suffering?” Rather the question we should be asking is: “Is Christ worth obeying even when obedience costs me dearly?”

Paul knew Jerusalem was waiting. He knew suffering was coming. He knew his friends were afraid for him. He knew the road ahead would be difficult. And he went anyway.

Why?

Because there was something more important than his comfort. There was something more important than his safety. There was something more important than the approval of the people closest to him.

Christ was worth it.

And this is the cost of following Jesus. We don't know where obedience will take us. We don't know what it will cost. We don't know what sacrifices will be required. But we do know the One who calls us.

And just like Paul, we are called to follow our Master wherever He leads. Not by relying on our own strength. Not by pretending that suffering doesn't hurt. Not by ignoring wise counsel.But by fixing our eyes on Christ and trusting Him to provide the strength we need for whatever He asks of us.

Because sometimes the faithful path isn't the easiest path. Sometimes obedience takes us directly toward suffering. And when it does, we don't need to panic. We need to remember: Jesus is worth it.

The question isn't always, “How can I avoid suffering?”

The question is: “Is Christ worth obeying even when obedience costs me dearly?”

For the Christian, the answer must always be yes.