More on pastoral suffering

In addition to the recent link to Wayne Shih's post on pastoral suffering, here's an excerpt from an article Wayne used in his post. It's by Scott Hafemann in the Summer 2000 issue of the Southern Baptist Journal of Theology:

Anyone can worship the “Santa Claus” of the health and wealth gospel (if you are nice and not naughty [i.e., if you have enough “faith”], he will give you what you really want: a good family, material security, and a long life that is free of sickness!). But Paul’s willingness and ability to endure in the midst of adversity for the sake of Christ and on behalf of Christ’s people demonstrate the surpassing worth of knowing Christ (Phil 3:8-11) and the incomparable value of our life with Christ in the age to come (2 Cor 4:16-18; Rom 8:18). The ultimate testimony to God’s power and glory is the praise that arises in the midst of affliction. This praise arises because of our conviction that God is at work in and through our suffering for a future good in his presence that is so great that all present suffering seems merely “light and momentary” (4:17). Moreover, our endurance with praise now testifies that knowing God and being conformed to Christ’s image is already of more value than anything the world has to offer!

The article, by the way, is in .pdf format.