Rejoice in Suffering

Are you suffering?

Nobody likes to suffer. I certainly don’t, but putting it in context helps me endure the pain. For instance, if I hit my thumb with a hammer I scream and dance around on one foot, but a fireman who rescues a child from a blazing house fire won’t complain about his injuries. Holding the child safely in his arms makes it all worth it.

In Romans 5, the Apostle Paul said we should see our pain and suffering like the fireman. It has a greater purpose. “… since we’ve been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we’ve also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:1-5)

You see Paul says we have two reasons for rejoicing. First, we know and are known by God. Everything else pales in comparison to that! Second, God will use suffering to strengthen our character and ultimately to give us hope. So if you’re suffering today, would you rejoice that you know and are known by God? Would you rejoice knowing your suffering will ultimately result in good? Be the fireman, not the one like me, dancing about on one foot!

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