The Kind of Suffering No One Sees — Why Western Believers Still Share in the Fellowship of Christ's Sufferings
Some paths are quiet, hidden, and steep—but they are the ones where Christ walks closest.
When we read devotionals from saints like Amy Carmichael or T. Austin-Sparks, we’re often struck by their call to rejoice in suffering. But in the Western world—where religious freedom is largely protected and martyrdom seems far away—it’s fair to ask: What kind of suffering are they talking about? Is this still relevant? The answer is yes—deeply so. The suffering of the cross is not always external. Much of it is hidden in the soul. And for the abiding believer, that kind of suffering is very real.
Both Carmichael and Austin-Sparks were writing from places where real, external suffering for the gospel was not theoretical. Amy Carmichael served in India, where she endured decades of physical illness, cultural resistance, and deep spiritual battle in rescuing girls from temple prostitution. T. Austin-Sparks, while based in England, wrote during a time of great theological conflict and personal cost within the Body of Christ, especially among those who sought a deeper life of abiding rather than institutional religion.
Yet both writers were not primarily focused on external suffering alone.
They were referring to a deeper, spiritual and relational kind of suffering that includes:
Misunderstanding and rejection by other Christians
Believers who begin to walk in intimate dependence upon Christ often become misunderstood or resisted—not by the world, but by fellow believers still operating in performance-based systems.
This rejection can feel deeply personal, especially when it comes from those once close to us.
The suffering of being emptied and poured out
When God asks you to yield your right to be noticed, respected, or affirmed—even within ministry or family—there is a real inner dying.
Philippians 2:17 speaks of being "poured out as a drink offering," which is not just suffering in the body, but a complete surrender of self-interest, comfort, and even your sense of usefulness.
The suffering of spiritual warfare
When a believer truly begins to live in moment-by-moment union with Christ, the enemy intensifies opposition—not through demonic fireworks, but through subtle discouragement, distraction, isolation, and relational division.
It can feel like you’re being "attacked at the core of your inner man," which is precisely what Amy means by suffering at the level of the "hidden person of the heart."
The pain of sacrificial love
Loving others with Christ’s love often means loving those who wound you, betray you, or remain indifferent. This is not dramatic persecution—but it is painful and refining.
The Holy Spirit often leads believers to stay in situations where others would leave, to love in silence when others would speak up, or to remain faithful when applause is absent. That is suffering.
The suffering of carrying spiritual burdens for others
Paul described “the daily pressure of concern for all the churches” (2 Cor. 11:28).
Interceding, guiding, and walking alongside others in their struggles can be spiritually taxing when done from union with Christ. It is a participation in His ongoing sufferings (Colossians 1:24), not just their practical support.
“Rejection, isolation, and misunderstanding are not signs that you’re off course. They’re signs that Christ is living His life in and through you.”
For believers in the Western world today...
That persecution often looks more like:
Social marginalization
Misrepresentation in the workplace or culture
Being labeled as fanatical or “too intense”
Isolation even within Christian communities when you walk by faith rather than effort
But for those who truly yield their lives to the indwelling Christ, the suffering is not less real—it’s just more internal and relational:
You lose your reputation.
You are accused of being “too passive” or “not doing enough.”
Your joy is misread as naiveté.
Your confidence in Christ is seen as arrogance.
Your rejection of self-effort is seen as laziness.
Your refusal to control others is seen as weakness.
And yet—it is this very suffering that keeps the believer dependent, tender, and yielded.
A Sacred Opportunity
As Amy writes, “It is no small gift of His love, this opportunity to be offered upon the sacrifice and service—something you would not naturally choose, something that asks for more than you would naturally give.”
So, while the external pressures may be light in comparison to other parts of the world, the inner pressures can be just as refining—and they are meant to conform us to Christ, not make us bitter or disillusioned.
If you’re in a season of rejection, isolation, or quiet heartbreak—take courage.
This isn’t failure.
It’s fellowship.
The path of abiding in Christ is not marked by ease, but by fruitfulness.
And the very pain you didn’t choose may be the offering He most delights in.
Reflect:
Have you ever experienced hidden suffering while walking closely with Christ? How did the Lord meet you in that place?
You’re not alone. He sees, He understands, and He shares in it with you.
Stay rooted in Him.
Keep resting in Him.
And keep trusting in the God who turns suffering into sacred offering.