Stop Calling It Suffering: The Power of Reframing Life’s Challenges as Spiritual Tests

We need to remove the word “suffering” from our vocabulary — both in our thoughts and in our speech — and replace it with the word “test.” A test is not meaningless pain. It is designed to elevate the believer, to raise them to new spiritual heights and reveal their strength.

It’s a Test, Not Suffering

Life is a very narrow bridge. We walk through the world surrounded by constant spiritual tests. That’s our purpose here, as the classic Jewish work Mesilat Yesharim explains: we were created to work, to strive, and to stand firm through challenges. Even a fleeting negative thought can cause a rupture in our relationship with God. As the Nefesh HaChaim explains (Gate 1, Ch. 4), a single harmful thought from a Jew can cause more spiritual destruction than Titus or Nebuchadnezzar, who physically destroyed the Temple. Why? Because those enemies had no access to the spiritual realms; they only succeeded in destroying the physical Temple after the Jewish people’s sins had already caused the Heavenly Temple to fall.

The Talmud uses the metaphor: “You ground already-ground flour.” The actual destruction had already occurred, through our thoughts and actions. If a Jew’s thoughts can reach so high, isn’t that the narrowest, most delicate bridge imaginable?

It’s not only wrongful actions that can cause a spiritual fall. Even a single thought of frustration, resentment about your situation, a sour expression, dissatisfaction with what is, can damage faith. When our faith is damaged, we lose that inner light, the shining presence of the Divine.

Silent Frustration Still Has a Cost

God is merciful and doesn’t judge people harshly in their moments of distress. Heaven may “make allowances” for the pain someone is going through when they utter inappropriate or faithless words. But make no mistake, something sacred is still lost. Even if a person isn’t punished directly, they’ve forfeited the chance to rise spiritually. The closeness to God that was intended to come through this test is now gone.

How tragic is it to miss that opportunity? With every moment of silence, every act of restraint, every time a person chooses not to question God’s ways, they are making a powerful spiritual investment. Those moments yield incredible returns.

When someone gives in to complaint and bitterness — even if there’s no visible punishment — they’ve missed out on a chance to invest in something eternal. They’ve also lost the opportunity to settle spiritual debts with a “small payment”, because in this world, even the smallest discomfort can spare us from far greater pain in the World to Come.

Faith Must Be Unshakable

Faith must be as solid as rock. No force in the world should be able to move it. There’s no such thing as “giving up a little” in faith. Every compromise reshapes our inner spiritual world, and the consequences are endless.

Let your faith be your anchor. Reframe your hardships not as “suffering,” but as divinely tailored tests and personalized opportunities to grow, to rise, and to come closer to your higher self and to God. (Rabbi Yechezkel Levenstein)