| Note – Because Paul has been so unwell, we are writing these articles from the hundreds of thousands of pages of transcripts of our Lighthouse research, in order to share with you—the reader—what Paul has learned and taught over the last twenty one years. In 2021-2022, the BBC unlawfully obtained highly sensitive and personal data through criminally stolen transcripts of personal and group counselling sessions and misrepresented them to the public in their docu-myth. An act of diabolical pride in and of itself! They will never live it down. They tried to decimate the public’s perception of Paul and all of us at Lighthouse Global, and have only succeeded in making us stronger, Glory to God! They know they wilfully deceived the British and global citizens. Repent! |
Here is an audio clip of Paul sharing how he wants to suffer with Christ:
When I say I am a Christian, I do not mean I’m someone who simply believes a certain set of doctrines, sings certain songs, and then asks God to keep me comfortable and safe.
When I say I am a Christian, I mean this:
I am not only willing to suffer with Christ, I want to suffer with Him.
That shocks people. It even shocks many Christians. But if you really look at Scripture, and if you really look at what love and allegiance actually are, you’ll see that wanting to suffer with Christ is not some extreme form of spirituality. It’s the normal Christian life. The big deal is not that anyone wants to suffer with Christ. The big deal is that so few of us do.
I. Willing vs. Wanting: The Price of Entry and the Proof of Allegiance
Most people, if pressed, might say, “Alright, I’m willing to suffer if I must.” That’s the price of entry. You cannot call yourself a loving father, mother, friend, or disciple of Christ if you are unwilling to suffer when suffering is necessary.
But I am not content with “bare willingness.”
I want to suffer with Him.
I said I’m not just willing to suffer with Him, I want to suffer with Him. I want to. That’s Jesus Christ. That’s Yahweh. That’s the Holy Spirit. That’s God. That’s the angels. I’m willing and want to suffer with Him. I want to suffer with Him. Suffering is inevitable. And where it is inevitable, I want to suffer with Him.
That is not masochism. I am not saying, “Give me as much pain as possible, whether it is wise or foolish.” I am saying that, where suffering is necessary to be faithful to Christ and to love others, I want to be there, shoulder to shoulder with Him, taking the hits.
Love does not start at the level of sentiment. Love begins at the point where you are both:
- Willing to suffer where it is right to suffer, and
- Wanting to suffer where it is right to suffer.
Anything less is not biblical love.
The Lord Jesus said:
“If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” (Luke 9:23, NASB)
John MacArthur points out that Jesus never sold cheap discipleship. The cross is not a piece of jewellery; it is an instrument of death. To take up your cross is to embrace the path of suffering that comes with obedience to Him. This is normal Christianity, not an elite option for a spiritual few.
So I say to you plainly: willingness is the price of entry; wanting is the proof of allegiance.
II. What Love Really Is: Wanting to Suffer With Those You Love
Look at your relationships.
There are wives in this world who are not willing to suffer with their husbands. Those marriages fail. There are husbands who are not willing to suffer with their wives. There are parents who will not suffer with their children, and children who will not suffer with their parents. There are people who will not suffer with their brothers and sisters in Christ when the heat comes on.
We use the word “love,” but love starts here:
Both, willing and wanting to suffer where it is necessary. Willing and wanting to. That is love. Love starts there.
If I say I love you but I am only willing to be there in the easy seasons, what does that mean when the grief hits? When the diagnosis comes? When the court papers arrive? When the establishment comes after you? If at that point I disappear, or I emotionally run away, what is my love worth?
God defines love at the cross:
“Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13, NASB)
Laying down your life is not just a single heroic moment. It is the willingness—and the desire—to endure pain, loss, humiliation, and grief for the good of another. MacArthur notes on this passage that Jesus is not primarily giving us a sentimental statement. He is pointing to His own cross as the ultimate demonstration of love and then saying, in effect, “You are to love like this.”
So when I talk about wanting to suffer with Christ, I am talking about wanting to love like Christ loves.
III. It’s Actually Not a Big Deal – That’s the Point
Now here is the paradox:
It is not a big deal to be willing and wanting to suffer with Christ.
That is how God created us.
Willing and wanting to suffer where it is necessary. Willing and wanting to. That is love. Love starts there. And I’ve got to tell you that it ain’t a big deal. What is a big deal is not wanting to suffer. Not wanting to take the hits. Not willing to suffer, not wanting to suffer but willing and wanting to run away from everything and hide from everything and drop everybody.
God created us to be righteous, courageous, loving, loyal. When we behave that way, we are only operating according to design. There is nothing to boast about. It is like a Ferrari bragging that it can go fast—it was built for that.
The big deal is when we refuse to be what we were created to be:
- When we are cowardly instead of courageous.
- When we are selfish instead of sacrificial.
- When we run from every risk because it might sting a little.
- When Christ suffers for us and we refuse to suffer with Him.
This is why Christ died for us. Not because it is a big deal for God to be perfect and loving—but because it is a big deal that we are not.
Paul says:
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)
MacArthur stresses that this “falling short” is not a small gap. It is radical deviation from the standard of God’s glory. That is the big deal. Our refusal to be what we were made to be is what makes the cross necessary.
IV. How God Himself Wanted to Suffer
Before space, time, and matter, God already knew what would happen:
It was God’s idea. Before the beginning of the world, before space, time and matter and material, God might have said, I’m going to create man. I’m going to give him a choice. He’s going to mess it up and I’m going to teach him choice through his own experience and I am going to pay the price for him because I know they’re going to mess up so therefore I must pay the price. I want to pay the price. I don’t want them to suffer, but they will, but I want them to learn through it and grow through it…
God did not reluctantly accept the cross as a bad outcome He hadn’t anticipated. The Son willingly, even joyfully, embraced the road of suffering for the joy set before Him:
“Who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2)
MacArthur, in his commentary on Hebrews, underlines that “the joy set before Him” includes the salvation and glorification of His people and the satisfaction of doing the Father’s will. Christ wanted to suffer for us. That is what love does.
So I look at that and I say:
How can I be content for Him to want to suffer for me, while I merely accept, at best, that I might have to suffer a bit for Him?
I cannot.
V. The Ceiling of Suffering
Your ceiling in life—in Christ, in character, in calling—is determined by where you stop being willing and wanting to take hits.
- If you are willing to suffer only at 1/10 you will live and die at level 1.
- If you want to suffer with Christ at 10/10, in line with what is right and necessary, you open yourself to an optimal life in Him.
This is simply recognising that to follow Christ faithfully in a fallen world is costly, and that you cannot have the fruit of a faithful life without the scars of a faithful life.
Jesus Himself made this clear:
“A slave is not greater than his master. If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.” (John 15:20)
MacArthur notes that Jesus is setting expectations: persecution is not an accident but a mark of genuine discipleship. To expect a pain‑free Christian life is to want to be greater than the Master.
VI. So What Does This Mean For You?
I am not writing this to impress you. As I said, it’s no big deal to want to suffer with Christ. That is simply what we were created for, and what we are redeemed for.
The big deal is if you don’t:
- If you want Christ to suffer for you but you refuse to suffer with Him.
- If you want your brothers and sisters in Christ to take the hits while you sit safely in the stands.
- If you want your spouse, your children, your friends, your colleagues to carry all the pain while you carry all the comfort.
That is a big deal. That is a problem between you and God.
So let me put simple questions to you:
- Are you merely willing, or do you genuinely want to suffer with Christ where it is necessary?
- Where does your ceiling sit—at what point do you say, “No more hits for me”?
- Who around you needs you to stand with them and suffer with them right now?
And then this prayer:
Lord, I have been content for You to suffer for me while I have refused to suffer with You. Forgive me. By Your Spirit, teach me to want to stand with You, to want to share in Your sufferings, so that I may also share in Your glory. (Philippians 3:10–11; 1 Peter 4:13)
That, to me, is what it means not just to be willing to suffer with Christ, but to want to suffer with Him.
In Christ
Paul S. Waugh
| Paul S. Waugh is a Christian researcher, mentor, and founder of Lighthouse Global. For over 21 years, he has dedicated his life to understanding the root causes of human limitation and developing practical, biblical solutions for realising God-given potential. |
Related articles:
Daniel’s Statue, the Establishment, and the Coming Kingdom by Paul S. Waugh
The Satanic Spirit: The Most Dangerous Spirit and Mindset on Earth
Hitting Rock Bottom, Grief, Love, and Knowing Christ: Insights from God’s Living Word, Paul S Waugh, and John MacArthur
Problem 2: The Disease of Sin: When Missing the Mark Becomes a Medicine
This is a massive answer to a very important prayer and question that I’ve been asking God. It has burrowed deep into every aspect of my life, my soul, my relationships, my past, my present, and my future.
I was sat last night literally asking God, what is love? Not just what does it mean to love Him, but what is love? I’ve been starting to learn about heaven through John MacArthur, but this is more than that. It’s appreciating all the suffering, all the trauma, all the trouble, all the strife and getting perspective on it, getting appreciation for it so I can look at the suffering ahead and welcome it more, embrace it more, like knowing that I’m going to get the hit and get my stance ready, get my posture ready and not be surprised by it, not be personally aggrieved by it as if it’s some personal attack. I remember there was this quote from a Christian pastor that said “if you want to be like Jesus, remember he had a wilderness, he had a Gethsemane, and he had a Judas.” I’ve experienced maybe the sandbox kindergarten version of that so far; there is so much more to come.
What I’m starting to feel is a sense of “do it anyway”. You’re going to suffer any way you turn, it’s going to hurt – do it anyway. The growth, the joy, the reward, is infinitely and eternally greater than the price. Jesus knew Judas would betray Him, and He chose and loved Judas anyway. In terms of wanting to suffer, not just being willing, I see that really is only truly possible through a relationship with Jesus Christ. To want to not leave my Lord to suffering without me. Man, I have so much about love to unlearn and to learn. This is THE life-lesson. It’s THE commandment that Jesus gave us, to Love God with everything. Thank you Paul, thank you God for this loving gift. Forgive me for being so selfish and so unloving for so long.
When Paul spoke about “wanting to suffer” with Christ, I thought “whaaaat!” I’m never going to want to suffer. I do it to get something I want that I think will make me happier. At the same time I see how the KOD is always reinforcing convenience and the lie of getting to a stage where you don’t “suffer” and how this is part of Christianity. Yet in other areas of life such as parenting it’s a lot more obvious e.g if a parent neglects their child such as not feeding them.
This is certainly an areas that needs Christians to come together and discuss and share.
Every self-professed Christian MUST read this! The establishment would have us believe that we are not to suffer even the smallest thing yet as Paul says, we were created to suffer and to be redeemed through our suffering. That is powerful because as we are inescapably imperfect and sinful, we will and do suffer anyway, but for the mercy of God, we can choose to suffer for the right reasons. Reasons which bring us closer to the Lord…through our obedience, we can suffer into phases of growth which we would have never thought possible.
The critical question posed is one of the most important I have come to hear, which is: Am I merely willing to suffer for Christ or do I want to genuinely suffer for Christ where it is necessary? The honest answer is, my flesh, my heart, does not genuinely want to suffer where necessary and that is where I turn to Matthew 26:41: “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
I aim to start with one temptation I battle with everyday, to put this before Christ to infuse His spirit with my human spirit to flee from and lead me not into this temptation. I want to become increasingly courageous and genuinely invested in suffering for and with Christ. Please pray for me as I pray for you too to do the same 🙏
This is pointing to something critical for people becoming a success in their lives. This power, if lived, changes everything. Our real problem is not suffering, we need to suffer in order to learn. I am seeing that being willing to suffer and wanting to suffer are like chalk and cheese, so close yet so far apart. Wanting, not from a masochistic place, but from someone who values growth and truth over comfort. This is a game changer.
This article hit hard in all the right ways. I think I’ve always feared suffering, or tried to dodge it, without really understanding that it’s not just a by-product of following Christ — it’s part of the calling itself. Reading this helped me see how much I’ve unconsciously chased comfort instead of embracing the refining power of hardship with Christ at the centre.
What stood out most was the clarity that suffering isn’t pointless or random — it’s a pathway into deeper obedience, identity, and alignment with Him. It doesn’t make sense in worldly terms, but in Kingdom terms it makes everything make sense.
Thank you for speaking this truth so boldly and with such spiritual depth. It’s challenging, humbling, and so desperately needed. God bless Paulie, and God bless all of us as we walk this calling with courage and faith. x x
I was reading in Mark about Christ’s experience in the Garden of Gethsamane. Christ was troubled (directly translated as ‘terrified amazement’), deeply distressed and felt a sorrow so deep that it threatened His life. Meanwhile He invited three of His closest disciples to keep watch in time of immense soul-searching and they fell asleep. He was willing to suffer to the highest possible level and take the full force of God’s wrath for our sins. This is humbling.
The more we go through in the form of the abuse online, the media slander and the government agency weaponisation, the more I see how the significant majority of people I grew up with have been anti-Christ rather than followers of Christ. I say this to the point where there are those who I believed cared for me, but now seek to destroy my life and livelihood. This all happened when I dared try to heal from the damage and trauma I experienced growing up and sought to serve others who unnecessarily suffer at the hands of others, from those closest to them through to the establishment.
The reality is that we’re simply not taught or encouraged to embrace legitimate suffering, the suffering it takes to grow and to serve meaningfully. Society has done what it can to water this down wherever possible. For instance, a big paradigm shift over the years for me has been to understand the meaning of the word “passion”. Through the etymology it effectively means “willing to suffer”. Yet it’s pretty much been perverted to be associated with either sexual lust or with some hyped-up enthusiasm.
May God bless us all in our work moving forward, with God’s protection, but more important, a willingness and wanting to take the hits and suffer with Christ.
Wow. I think this comes as a shock to almost everyone who will read it as it’s so rare to hear anyone speaking like this. To some they will feel and know the truth in it though too. I’m sure there are many who will read this and balk this is something that goes against pretty much everything that our world believes nowadays. We live in a culture and society that’s geared around comfort and pleasure and trying to get away from pain and suffering as much as possible and if we look at humanity in general in light of this, we have become fat, dull, numb, lazy and incredibly selfish as a result. We have also become the most disconnected, fragmented and anti-social we have ever been and yet we have more access to the Word of God and the Gospels than any other time in history. For me that means we aren’t taking God’s Word and His Commandments seriously enough to see and recognise this message and just as you’re saying Paul, that is a very big deal. It’s a huge deal because it means we aren’t fulfilling the life that Christ has called us to as we ought to.
For me what is key words here are where suffering is necessary! Not to want to suffer for the sake of suffering at every given point. That’s madness. But where it is necessary. And the wanting to is about a fundamental mind, heart and soul shift in our relationship with pain. It’s a true recognition of what love, self sacrificial agape love truly is. That where we need to, where it’s necessary, we want to. How many parents would want to suffer for and with their child to see them grow and overcome their problems and challenges? How many soldiers would want to take a hit to save the life of their brothers in arms? I think many would look on those examples as being more understandable than wanting to suffer for Christ, yet Christ has suffered and done the most for all of us. He’s the one we ought to want to suffer for the most. It says in Matthew 10:22, “and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” Endures means pain, means suffering, means struggle, means taking the hits.
I look at myself and I know that this isn’t an attitude and heartset that I have and live by. I am a long way off living that right now because of my selfishness and cowardice, but I see and recognise the truth and wisdom in this and how necessary it is to work towards with God, in prayer, in supplication to Him for the strength of character and soul to grow in that want more every day by recognising the shame in being willing to let Jesus take the hits while avoiding and hiding from them myself.
Amen. This is such a powerful update, full of wisdom that many of us were never taught growing up — and in many cases, not even in adulthood. We are truly blessed to be receiving this now, and for Paulie to be sharing it with so many others as well. May we all come to understand what it truly means, by God’s grace and for His glory, to suffer with Him — just as He suffers and suffered for us. In His mighty name, amen.
This is such a crucial question: do I want to suffer in Christ? I can feel how much honest self-reflection it takes to answer that truthfully. I see how I try to avoid suffering, and how that avoidance often leads me away from love rather than toward it.
What strikes me deeply is the realisation that we suffer anyway, one way or another. That awareness makes me want to understand myself more clearly, so that I can make a conscious, heartfelt choice about suffering instead of reacting to it.
So often suffering is treated as something inherently wrong, something to be escaped at all costs. And we are certainly not short of ways to numb ourselves, through distraction, comfort, or various forms of addiction, in an attempt to avoid it.
This feels like a call to make a clear decision: to fully accept Christ, knowing that suffering will be part of that path, but trusting that within it there is also real joy, real love and real transformation.
Thank you 🙏🏻
I look at my life and ask, where have I been willing to suffer? And the answer is so clear, I haven’t. Ok, so I didn’t have a great upbringing, my parents weren’t there for me when I needed them, but that does not excuse my attitude to being willing and wanting to suffer now. I say that because reading the Bible, God shows us, throughout the Bible, where Christ was willing to suffer for us.
This article has got me asking more questions and looking at myself and asking the times in my life where I ran away, was it the right thing to do or was it the easiest? There is so much I need to sit with and go deeper. It isn’t going to be easy, but I want and need to.
I pray that this article helps all who read it and helps them to look deeper at themselves.
God bless Paul and all those involved in bringing this article together. God bless us all x