Day 32: Charles Spurgeon -“Growing Through Suffering”
“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Introduction
Though you cannot hear his voice, read any sermon by Charles Spurgeon, and you can still feel its weight. His words cut people to the heart, deeply moving them and drawing them to the presence of God.
What led him to be a prominent preacher? One answer may surprise us: his suffering. It was, in many ways, his thorn. But ultimately, it helped shape Spurgeon to be the faithful, compassionate, and effective minister he is remembered as.
Growing Through Suffering
It would have been hard to imagine how someone preaching so powerfully could be struggling so deeply. Yet, while Spurgeon was one of the most influential pastors of his time, he experienced seasons of intense depression. During his ministry, he felt enormous pressure from leading a large church, suffered physical illnesses, and faced harsh criticism. It was a load that seemed to crush him.
At times, it may have felt that way. But his sufferings didn’t destroy him; they deepened him. Spurgeon confessed, “I have learned to kiss the wave that throws me against the Rock of Ages.” As if his sufferings drove him back to God, he learned to “kiss the wave.” Every moment of weakness led him back to the One who remained constant in his life. He understood growth, not as instant victory over suffering, but as faithful endurance in the Lord.
Through his trials, Spurgeon grew more empathetic toward his congregation and in humility before God. He saw his hardships as opportunities to become more like Christ, who suffered infinitely more to redeem the church. Spurgeon was admired as a great pastor, not because of his strengths, but because in his weaknesses, he was constantly led back to Christ and made like Him.
Reflection
When we suffer, let’s take that as a call to run back to God. He invites us to lean on Him. Growth doesn’t happen automatically when we face tribulation. It comes when we turn to Christ in prayer. Therefore, let’s not fight against the waves of hardship. Instead, let’s “kiss the wave” by trusting that God uses them to draw us back to Himself and shape us to be more like Jesus.