By Agustinus Ryanto
Travel always brings many stories. One trip I will never forget is when I went backpacking to Central Aceh.
I was stranded in a small town in the Gayo mountains one rainy night, with no affordable place to stay. A kind police officer offered me shelter, and his family welcomed me warmly. They gave me a place to sleep, lent me a motorbike, provided pocket money, and treated me like family. Their youngest child even accompanied me to explore the lake. Sadly, a year later, I learned that the child had drowned in the lake while celebrating his birthday with friends.
His older brother, overwhelmed with grief, posted on social media: “The best fate is not to be born, the second is to be born but die young, and the most unlucky is old age. It feels like that. Blessed are those who die young.”
This quote, originally by Soe Hok Gie, an activist and student who died on Mount Semeru in 1969, felt sharp but familiar to me.
Initially, Soe Hok Gie’s words resonated with me. As adults, we face many hardships and responsibilities that make life feel overwhelming. Sometimes, it seems like the burdens are too heavy to bear, leading to thoughts of whether death would be better.
Growing up in a dysfunctional family left me with deep psychological wounds that carried into adulthood. There were times when I wanted to die because the future seemed bleak. However, through God’s help, community, and spiritual guidance, I began to see another side to life’s burdens that I needed to understand and live through.
A Clearer Path Forward
I now see life from a broader perspective: our lives are not just bad luck or mistakes. This new view doesn’t change the fact that the world is full of hardships, but it helps me shift from a pessimistic outlook to a more spiritual one.
While the world might say that suffering is a dead end and ending life is the only solution, God’s Word offers a different perspective. It encourages us not only to live but to enjoy life and to meet someone greater than life itself, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus understands our suffering. He said, “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world” (John 16:33 NLT).
These words are worth noting. Jesus acknowledges that suffering is inevitable because it is the result of sin (Rom. 6:23). However, He also assures us that He has triumphed over sin and suffering. Jesus’ victory is part of God’s perfect plan, where Christ, who knew no sin, became sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God (2 Cor. 5:21).
Despite my family’s brokenness and the damage to my identity, God’s grace allowed me to know and accept Jesus as my Savior. This understanding of Jesus helped me see that the Christian view of suffering is not utopian but realistic. Suffering is not eliminated but defeated through Jesus Christ.
Jesus’ victory over sin and suffering gives us the strength to face our challenges. Since accepting Christ, we have become new creations (2 Cor. 5:17). As new creations, our strength comes from Christ, who enables us to endure all things (Phil. 4:13).
An Invitation to Choose and Enjoy Life
While we are in this world, suffering and hardship will always be part of our lives. This suffering will be completely relieved when we reach the new heaven and earth that God will provide for His children who love Him (Rev. 21:3-4).
Today, some of us may struggle to understand the meaning behind our suffering or wonder why some people suffer more than others. We may never know the answer. Rev. Robert Solomon suggests that instead of searching for answers, we should offer our love and understanding. Those who feel “chosen” to suffer more than others should stop comparing themselves to others and feeling sorry for themselves.
When Peter asked Jesus about John, “Lord, what will happen to him?” (John 21:22), Jesus replied, “That is none of your business. But you: follow me” (v. 23). Each disciple has their own path in life, chosen by God out of His wisdom and love.
We are invited to see life’s difficulties not from our own perspective but from a divine one: that in weakness, there is love and a gift that makes us perfect (2 Cor. 12:9-10); that God in Christ, who promises us the Holy Spirit, is with us always until the end of the age (Matt. 28:20); and that on our journey, we are like a flock of sheep watched over by its shepherd (Ps. 23:1-6).
Knowing that God is with us helps us see life not as misfortune and birth not as a disaster, but as a journey where our souls glorify God and rejoice in our Savior (Luke 1:46-47).
Cheers!
Our Daily Bread Ministries in Indonesia is supported by the freewill offering of individuals in Indonesia, who through their gifts enable us to continue to bring the life-changing wisdom of the Bible to many here. We are not funded by any church or organisation.
