I have been reading lately about something called “dialectical behavior therapy” (DBT). It’s an emotional regulation technique that has to do with being “mindful” of your emotions — observing, describing and participating in your emotions instead of trying to change or avoid them.

DBT suggests that we can go ahead and feel what we feel without judging the feelings or the fact that we’re having them. Feelings, after all, aren’t facts; we neither have to treat them as such nor pretend they don’t exist.

And here’s what really interesting: Many methods of managing emotion use some technique of short-circuiting negative thoughts and changing situations in order to avoid suffering. DBT instead encourages people to bear suffering — a very Christian concept that seems to be anathema in our times.

Hebrews 5:2 tells us that Jesus’ suffering — in which he participated with “loud cries and tears” — taught him obedience, saved others, and caused God to exalt him.

James 5 tells us to be patient in suffering: “Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering…you have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about.” It is important to note that Job didn’t have some kind of Pollyanna faith which caused him to believe that things would turn out all right in the end.

He simply acknowledged, “The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

A wise woman recently told me that suffering is not just a season in life, but a “work” that we do before God. Thus, we can suffer well or suffer poorly.

The Bible teaches us that suffering, endured patiently, produces good fruit. But the world tells us that suffering is to be avoided at all costs. Since most people are following the way of the world, are we missing out on a bountiful harvest?