Glorifying God in Suffering: Seeing God’s Glory in Dark Providence

The Westminster Shorter Catechism famously answers, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” This truth is meant to be the single greatest controlling influence in our lives.

I confess that it is easy to talk about glorifying God and enjoying Him when things are going well and life is pleasant. I never have to tell my children to have a good attitude when we are eating ice cream together! It almost seems natural. For the Christian, it is natural to glorify God when things are going well. It is much harder, though, when life is difficult—when, as the Puritans used to say, “dark providence descends” or “God’s frowning providence” comes upon us.

And yet the Westminster Assembly was correct when it said that our chief end is—not just when things are going well or when life is pleasant and easy—but always to glorify God.

Paul sets a wonderful example for the Christian in this regard. Consider the context of his writing the book of Philippians. He is sitting in prison, yet he gives no hint of self-pity. He does not want the Philippians focusing upon him or worrying about his circumstances. Instead, he wants them to see his suffering in light of the glory of God. That is our challenge as well. God’s glory is to be the lens through which we see every circumstance of our lives.

Sometimes the problem is not that God lacks purpose in suffering, but that we lack perspective.

How did Paul cultivate that perspective? One of the most helpful practices when we suffer as Christians is simply to step back and consider the larger picture of God’s purposes.

Have you ever looked at one of Monet’s water lily paintings? If you look at it up close in a gallery, it appears to be simple splotches of paint. It looks disorganized and chaotic. The colors are bright and the strokes are evident, but the purpose of those colors and the benefit of those strokes are lost. If you then take a few steps back and gaze at the entire painting from the vantage point of the center of the room, a different reality sets in. A masterpiece is revealed. The colors are more muted, the strokes disappear, and the image becomes quite beautiful.

This is often how suffering appears to us. When we look at our trials up close, all we can see are the harsh strokes of pain, confusion, and loss. But when we step back and view our lives through the lens of God’s glory and sovereign purposes, a greater picture begins to emerge.

Scripture reminds us that God is never absent from our suffering. As Paul writes in Ephesians 1:11, God “works all things according to the counsel of his will.” All things. Even the painful ones. Even the confusing ones. Even the sorrows that seem to make no sense to us in the moment.

Similarly, Romans 8:28 reminds believers that God works all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. This does not mean that every trial feels good or appears good in itself, but that God is sovereignly working through every circumstance to accomplish His good and perfect purposes.

Oh, if we could see the secret plans of God! If we could fully understand how His purposes are unfolding—not only in our own lives but in the lives of His people throughout the world. From that vantage point we would see that even affliction, sorrow, and loss are being used by God to bring about His glorious purposes.

Of course, we cannot always see what God is doing, and that can make suffering particularly difficult. Yet many believers can testify that God sometimes grants small glimpses of His purposes—little evidences of grace that give us perspective.

Look for them.

Look for the person who shows love to you in a way they never expressed before your trial. Notice the conversation about Christ that opens up with a coworker who has witnessed your suffering. Consider the boldness your trial may give your spouse or family to speak about the gospel. Observe the neighbor who now approaches you with her struggles. Recognize the deeper empathy you now have for others who suffer.

Train yourself to look for how God might be using your personal suffering, loss, or trial for the benefit of others and for His glory.

From our vantage point, life can sometimes look like the tangled backside of a piece of embroidery. The threads appear messy and disconnected. But if we could glimpse the work from above, we would see that even the dark threads are contributing to a beautiful design.

And when we begin to see even a glimpse of God’s purposes, we find strength to rejoice in the midst of trial just as Paul did—so that Christ might be glorified in every circumstance of our lives.

For more from our latest series visit here or at our YouTube.