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Much of the teaching of the so-called higher life of Christianity is obsessed with the suffering of the cross of Christ. There is a suffering that comes with being a Christian, but it is not the basis of religious devotion that it is often made out to be. This book provides a quick overview of the unnecessary suffering that Christians put themselves through as well as the suffering that does come, albeit incidentally, as a result of living an authentic Christian life.

1. Must Christians Suffer Sickness? — We must distinguish between the example of Christ in suffering and the substitution of Christ in suffering. He bore our sicknesses and carried our diseases so that we could experience healing.
2. Christians Who Suffer Unnecessarily — Much of the suffering that people go through is the result of their own wrongdoing, ignorance, doubt, and unbelief.
3. Suffering in the Ministry — Christians do suffer persecution. Ministers also suffer the hardships that come with serving the spiritually immature, such as sacrificing time and energy, facing open hostility to Bible truth, fighting the frustration of repeatedly teaching things to people who never seem to get it, and putting up with the childish squabbling of those who let offenses pull them off track.
4. Suffering Because of God’s Call — Sometimes God asks us to do things that are difficult or turn out to be difficult because He wants us to carry His redemptive power to others who need it. It takes faith to go through those trials, knowing that our sacrifice is bringing the blessing of God into the lives of others.