Rejoice in Suffering?

“Not only so, but we rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character hope.” (Romans 5:3-4)

Who in their right mind ever rejoices and finds joy in their suffering? Whenever troubles come our way most of us have the tendency to think “why me”? or “it’s not fair”. Life has its ups and downs, good times and bad times, discomforts and times of achievements. Can we really find joy in the suffering? Evidently, joy of some sort, to some amount, can be found in suffering. We know that we should have this joy, but how do we find it? We have to find some comfort in knowing that our suffering is not without a purpose, and even though we may not be able to rejoice right at the moment of our pain and suffering, it soon should follow.

“We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.” (2 Corinthians 4:8-10)

It’s not that we enjoy suffering, but when we allow ourselves to express joyfulness even in times of pain, anguish, and sorrow, we gain strength and endurance; we rejoice in spite of our grief and the end result is greater spiritual power and strength. Even when we become impatient and frustrated, and can’t see an end to our discomfort, we can be confident in our God who loves us and gives us joy and restful peace.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” (2 Corinthians 1:3)

Where do we find our joy as we travel the road of agony and sorrow? We will find it in God’s Word as we apply it to our circumstances; He has promised us that our suffering is not in vain or without a purpose. God allows us to go through trials so that He can comfort us and know the true joy of His peace and assurance during any situation. And through every trial that we endure, we are blessed with the ability to comfort other people who are suffering similar troubles. Being a comfort to others makes us feel useful and good and glorifies God.  

“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” (1 Peter 5:10)

Going through the rivers of difficulty can either cause us to drown or force us to grow stronger, and if we don’t look beyond suffering and see the light of its eternal values, it will breed resentment and bitterness rather than joy. Suffering is a necessary pain that supplements divine growth, and God uses it to develop and shape us into better Christians. It produces endurance which in turn produces Christian character, and our Christian character produces hope!  

Linking up on Spiritual Sundays, Sharing His Beauty, and Winsome Wednesday!