Most tourists to Rome will visit St. Peter’s Basilica and find their way to the Chapel of the Pietá. There resides the striking statue carved by Michelangelo when he was only twenty-four years old.
For the viewer, the subject matter evokes sad commiseration with the grieving mother, and yet the artistry of the statue manifests incomparable beauty in Mary’s tranquil expression, the luxurious folds of her robe, and the peaceful repose of Jesus’ face.
Perhaps Michelangelo wished to convey Mary’s relief that the anguish of her Son was over. Jesus’ expression might indicate his satisfaction in perfectly executing the Father’s mission.
The Pietá gives evidence: beauty may be its most captivating when viewed in juxtaposition against suffering. And Michelangelo superbly represented the two entities in this one statue.
Yet there is One who surpasses even the great Renaissance sculptor in the compelling intertwining of beauty and suffering: our heavenly Father. His medium? The lives of his children.
He can make all things beautiful—even suffering.
Perhaps you’ve known people who’ve endured much—physically, mentally, and/or emotionally. And among them are those who’ve manifested the beauty of strong faith.
We’ve seen heavenly joy in their eyes, even amidst the tears.
We’ve heard the winsome affirmations of God’s palpable, sustaining presence and even of God’s blessings during their season of trouble.
We’ve witnessed their striking maturity in the way they react to their circumstances.
These saints have embraced the truth that:
How do people find the wherewithal to radiate such loveliness of spirit even as they suffer?
Beauty-in-Suffering Begins with Trust
Of course, it begins with strong trust in God—in his sovereignty over all things, his grace to uphold, and in his power to accomplish purpose through hardship. Such people can say:
Just look at what the Lord can do! Here I am in dire straits, and see how good and how great God is!
–Dr. Charles Stanley, Advancing through Adversity, 78.
Can you also see the beauty of joy on the face of such a witness? How do we grow a strong trust like that?
Beauty-in-Suffering Grows with Intimacy
There’s no shortcut to intimacy and trust. We cannot trust whom we do not know.
–Melissa Kruger and Kristen Wetherell, Twelve Faithful Women, 2020.
The formula for growing intimacy with God is quite simple: Prayer + the Word + Time [1].
The closer we walk with God, the less room there is for any other thing to come between us, including trouble, hardship, or pain. In addition, we begin to reflect the glory of his beautiful character [2]!
Beauty-in-Suffering Impacts Others
The question is, will the impact be characterized by the ugliness of complaining, negativity, and self-pity? Or will it be the beauty of vibrant faith, contagious joy, and a settled peace?
Meet Anik, a young African father who was suffering through illness and finding it difficult to provide for his family. Nearby another household also dealt with hardship, and yet their quick smiles and frequent laughter indicated a happiness Anik craved.
He could hear them worship God and pray. They even prayed for him! Anik finally asked them about this God they praised. They told him about Christ, and the family shared their Bible with him.
Upon reading the stories about Jesus, Anik prayed to receive him into his life. So did his family, and they found their hearts transformed.
Their circumstances didn’t change immediately, but they did [3].
May the beauty-in-suffering illustrated by the Pietá and reflected in those like Anik’s neighbor, be evidenced in us also.
* * * * * * * * * *
We praise you, O God, for gifting us with extra measures of your peace and presence—even joy—when difficulty invades our lives. Only you can bring beauty out of suffering! Help us to lean upon you in ever-deepening faith, to carry us through until the final day of triumph.
(Psalm 34:18; Philippians 4:5-7; Romans 5:3-5;
2 Corinthians 2:14)
[1] Joanna Weaver, Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World, 77.
[2] 2 Corinthians 3:18
[3] www.wycliffe.org/blog/posts/the-light-of-hope-scripture-passages-for-hard-times-.
Image credits: http://www.flickr.com; http://www.canva.com (2); http://www.en.wikipedia.org; http://www.heartlight.org.
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To see and be able to bear witness to the beauty amidst suffering is a most gracious gift from God, Nancy. Both are so poignantly juxtaposed in the Pieta. When we grow in faith and trust and prayer, seeking God with all our hearts, we, too, can shine with His love though the tears may be falling from our eyes. Your reflection here today spoke deeply and resoundingly to my heart. Blessings!
Praise God you found this post meaningful, Martha. You have endured your own seasons of suffering with faith! Your blog posts have reflected trust, gratitude, and praise, even in the midst of distress. Thank you for your example, my friend!
wow so much truth to this sentence: There’s no shortcut to intimacy and trust. We cannot trust whom we do not know.
I kept thinking as I read this about how God gave us the ability to freely choose. We can chose to believe to choose joy, light, to trust, to find the beauty, the holy even in suffering or focus only on the ugly, the evil… much to think about.. Thanks Nancy
You are so right, Jean. God offers so much grace when circumstances turn against us–his peace, strength, joy, comfort, and more–WHEN we choose his ways. (Why would I ever choose otherwise? And yet sometimes I do. Forgive me, Lord!) Thank you for adding this insight, Jean!
The formula for growing intimacy with God is simple, but the “time” part of it may be a hurdle for some people who want instant responses. Praise the Lord for good neighbors who take the “time” to share God’s Word. Thank you for giving us so much to reflect upon, Nancy. 🙂
If a person commits to five minutes a day of some scripture reading and moments of prayer, it won’t be long before they figure out how to stretch it to ten, then fifteen and so on. Time with God is a LIFE-changer. For ten years of my teaching career we lived thirty minutes from my school. I was out the door by 6:50 each morning. In order to enjoy forty-five minutes of Bible study, devo reading, and prayer each morning, I got up at 4:30. It was not a hardship but a JOY to begin the day with God. I just went to bed earlier than most adults!
We share the same prayer time-not surprised! 🙏🙏🙏
I don’t get up at 4:30 anymore, now that I’m retired. Kudos to you, Nancy, if you still do!
Begins with trust, grows with intimacy and impacts others — so much truth, Nancy! Thank you for this beautiful post about making all things beautiful!
Thank you, Wynne. Praise God you found beauty here!
Clinging to God in times of trial has a way of deepening our faith. And to build that sort of trust- prayer,word and time- yes and Amen 🙏
You’re so right, Manu. The most spiritual growth seems to occur during the most challenging times of life. That’s part of the beauty-in-suffering. I remember one particularly difficult season when I sensed God’s presence in especially appreciable ways. Such a sweet and profound gift that gave me much joy!
Sometimes I just want to hide below the radar so that difficulties won’t find me. That is a cowardly attitude because I know we Christians cannot grow or develop a more intimate relationship with Christ if we don’t experience unpleasant things. Right now, I am often attacked on the internet by the world for my Christian stance. People try to put me on the defensive and then watch how I handle myself. If I seek God’s perfect guidance negative encounters can start a positive chain of events, the outcome of which might not be apparent until I get to Heaven. Proverbs 15:1 suggests that a calm and gentle response can diffuse anger or conflict, while a harsh or angry response will only escalate it. It emphasizes the power of words to either soothe or inflame situations. I pray for God’s wisdom in handling myself so that these situations won’t disturb my joy and peace.
God bless you, Cheri, for sowing seeds of truth with grace and wisdom! No doubt your prayerful attitude positively impacts the way you respond, which in turn impacts those you interact with. I pray God’s blessing on your ministry of truth-telling!
This world is filled with so much sadness and grief. Today I was asked to pray for the daughter of one of my friends. The younger woman has strayed into darkness and the mom is afraid she is lost forever. I was also called on to pray for a dear friend who is facing a life threatening surgery. Each day, I wake and view the empty spot next to me. I hold back tears because I know that the love of my life is now enjoying heaven and all its blessings. I see my great grandson turn ten months old. My granddaughter is a single mom and faces many challenges, but the love of that little boy has brought new joy into so many lives. I see my friends facing financial issues, health issues, an unknown future and my heart aches for them. Every day there is terrible news covering the entire map of the world. We can’t forget that Jesus overcame the world. He paid the price for our salvation. Without that hope and promise we would be doomed to a life of despair. Thank you for sharing your thoughts today and always. Looking for the positive in negative situations isn’t always easy, but there is so much in looking for those little things.
Dear Cathy, it saddens me to hear of all the concerns on your heart, so soon after losing your beloved Paul. Thank you for your testimony of hope, your affirmation that our Jesus has overcome the world, and your example of pressing on, even when difficult circumstances press in. I pray God’s blessings of peace, joy, strength, and comfort upon you this day!
Cathy, I will pray for you. You have so much going on; my heart aches for you. I long for the rapture and the full experience of joy we will have forever. Nothing to worry or fear for all eternity.
Thank you kindly for your sweet comments. I too long to be in paradise, but it isn’t time for me yet. There is still a purpose for me to continue living. I know that God had mapped out my whole life and whatever He has in mind is always for our good.
Your positive attitude and strong faith no doubt minister encouragement to many, Cathy!
God bless you, Cheri, for your compassionate heart to pray for Cathy!
I’ll be quick to admit that I have not been a good sufferer. But that’s ok. I know He knows my frailty and weaknesses and loves me just the same. I can rest in His arms and let Him carry me through those times … and He surely has. What a wonderful Savior!
Weekend blessings to you, dear Nancy.
I’m right there with you, Linda. I think back to some of the challenging times of my life and wish to live them over again with more fortitude, stronger faith, and greater discipline of my complaining tongue! I also praise God with you. He remembers how frail and weak we are, no more than dust (Psalm 103:14)! Yes indeed, what a wonderful Savior!
Beautiful post. It is so easy to become discouraged, but God is always with us. We need to think on those things that are good and pray for strength and guidance. He is FOR us and we can rely on Him. Thank you for this encouraging post!
You are so right, Linda. God has given us a number of ways to fight against discouragement. I’ve not always been faithful to implement them, but with his help I’m getting better.
You are not alone in your efforts to implement the tools God has given us to fight against discouragement. Your blog is a positive for me along with audio messages during my walks.
I am honored, Linda! Praise God for each idea he brings to mind, as well as his help and inspiration to produce each post!
My Circadian Rhythm is from 11:00pm to 4:30am whether I like it or not. 🥱😴
Oh my. Only 5 1/2 hrs of sleep per night? I’d never make it! I once knew another woman like you. She produced piles of beautiful needlework (embroidery, cross-stitch, needlepoint, etc.)–something quiet she could do while everyone else slept. Perhaps there’s advantage to needing less sleep?
I don’t know of any advantages. It doesn’t deprive me of energy. But being someone who is concientious about health, I know more sleep would benefit me. 😴
I’m glad your short nights don’t deplete your energy.
🥰
Beautiful post! God is with us through all things.1 Thessalonians 5:17 admonishes us to ‘pray without ceasing’. And also, Romans 8:38-39 which teaches us that ‘nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ In this way we know that God stands with us through every trial and tribulation.
Thank you, Linda. Those are worthwhile scriptures to copy in a journal, when we need reassurance of God’s sustaining presence. Nothing encourages like his Word!
I am continually amazed at the verses that God gives me during the hard times and how perfect they are for each situation. His words are so powerful and meaningful during those tough times and I am so thankful for those times during which He drew me so close and spoke such peace and power. Another element in my trust and peace is gratitude – praying with gratitude in my heart. There truly is beauty in our suffering when we let God speak to us and trust Him with every single detail of our trials. Your words shared this truth so well, Nancy.
Oh yes, Patty–it IS thrilling to have a scripture verse suddenly speak directly to a need in our lives! And you are so right–gratitude is a powerful antidote for what ails our spirits. You, my dear friend, have experienced much suffering, so your positive attitude and expressions of trust in God are all the more striking. Thank you for your example!
A powerful and inspiring post. I am one who had the opportunity to see the Pieta in person many years ago. Michelangelo is one of my favorite artists, not only for the beauty of his work but the fact that he dedicated his talent to God.
How thrilling to be able to see his work in person, Anna! I read that in creating the Pieta he included all those folds in Mary’s robes to support the figure of Christ. Such a design required engineering skills as well as artistic talent. Amazing!
How wonderful that nothing is wasted in God’s economy. He is infinitely purposeful about even our suffering.
TT
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Agreed, Michele. There is comfort and assurance in such knowledge.
Nancy, thank you so much for stopping by my blog today. It’s lovely to “meet” you. The blogging community is so unique and such a supportive community.
I enjoyed reading about Anik and how God used His Word and the positive outlook of the Christian folks near him who were also suffering to bring Anik to Himself.
My One Word for this year is Resilience and I have recently been thinking about how Resilience and Gratitude go hand in hand. I have so much to be thankful for and when I begin to get discouraged about something the Holy Spirit has been prompting me to begin thanking God for anything and everything that I can think of. When I do that, Resilience kicks in and the task at hand or whatever God is walking me through at that moment, doesn’t seem so overwhelming at all.
Thank you, Dianna, for stopping by and commenting. I too have appreciated the Christian blogging community that is indeed supportive and encouraging. Won’t it be fun to meet these dear folks when we get to heaven? Actually, I’ve been able to spend face-to-face time with two blogger-friends over the years. The instant connection we felt was thrilling. / I’m so glad you enjoyed Anik’s story. And what a meaningful word you chose for 2025: Resilience. I agree that gratitude is an important element of resilience.
Nancy, I was going to comment on the sculpture, but it seems more important that I ask who’s in the hospital. I’m so sorry, but I’ve clearly missed something.
That’s just a royalty-free photo from wikipedia.org–no acquaintance of ours. You’re so kind to show concern, Stacey!
glad to hear that!
I loved this entire blog! However this sentence: The Pietá gives evidence: beauty may be its most captivating when viewed in juxtaposition against suffering. And Michelangelo superbly represented the two entities in this one statue. Nancy–wow!! That sentence was so beautiful and profound and visual—thank you for that sentence in particular. God bless you sister!! Thank you for this excellent piece on suffering. (Once again–I love the graphics!)
Thank you, dear Katie. YOU are one who radiates beauty in spite of the pain you endure. And no doubt you provide strong impact within your circle of influence!
Oh–that is so kind. Thank you for these words that inspire courage!
You’re right–real beauty can’t be appreciated or truly seen apart from the challenges of living in a broken world that can only be redeemed by the One who loves us so much. Your explanation of Michelangelo’s beautiful statue was soul-refreshing. I’m learning that courage isn’t something that just happens unless we’re hurting and need to lean into Jesus for His courage in and through us. This was wonderful, Nancy.
Thank you, Dayle. Praise God he does indeed supply courage! One verse that gives us the assurance and encouragement we need: Isaiah 41:10. Such an uplifting promise!