REJOICE IN SUFFERING

 

 

How do we rejoice in suffering? It makes sense to rejoice that God loves me. But to rejoice in suffering? It’s required of us:

 

• Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we 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 5:2-5)

 

We rejoice because suffering is a gift that bears fruit—endurance, character, and hope. It takes us through the eternity’s veil where we partake of the glory of God.

 

Don’t fret that you are not able to convert your suffering into these fruit. You cannot! That’s why He tells us that His love has been poured forth into our heart. It is He who must produce the growth, but meanwhile we should rejoice and entrust ourselves to our Savior.

 

This understanding enabled Paul to boast in his weaknesses. We need them because this is the ideal soil for our Lord to produce His fruit:

 

• But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

 

Therefore, welcome your afflictions as friends.