Suffering is a natural part of the human condition. As I write this, I just heard news about a writing acquaintance who suffered a catastrophic fall and is on a ventilator. I have friends dealing with the fallout of divorce and others with mental and emotional struggles. Christians in other parts of the world deal with unimaginable persecution.
My family has received several bits of bad news this week about health issues with extended family members, and it’s hard not to feel like we’re suffering along with them. We all suffer in our lives. We can’t escape it because we live in a fallen world. But as believers, we have to frame our suffering in the right way.
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness,” wrote Jesus’ brother James in James 1:2-4. “And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
But I want to dig into the Apostle Paul’s words in Romans 5:3-5:
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.
The ESV Study Bible describes this process as “a step-by-step transformation that makes believers more like Christ.” That description makes sense to me because of the sequence that Paul lays out in these verses.
This analogy is nothing compared to the suffering that many people are going through, but the idea that “suffering produces endurance” makes me think of pushing through a difficult workout because you’re aware of both the short-term and long-term benefits. The workout may be a challenge, but you know that it’s going to make you stronger.
Related: Sunday Thoughts: The Conviction of Hope
Suffering, whether it’s light or heavy, gives us more strength and allows us to focus on eternity. As Paul told the church in Corinth, “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:17-18, ESV).
The next thing to notice is that “endurance produces character.” When we can emerge from the other side of suffering with stronger faith and a story to tell of God’s goodness, we grow. Our character is deeper and more in tune with patience and grace.
And then “character produces hope.” We’re not talking about a hope like:
- I hope the Georgia Bulldogs win the national championship.
- I hope I get 100,000 more miles out of my car.
- I hope we have steak for supper tonight.
Instead, this is a confident hope, a secure hope, a hope that we can count on. It’s hope in God and His unmatched power, infinite grace, and unfailing love. Paul says that “hope does not put us to shame.” How glorious is that?
If you’re in the midst of suffering, rest in Jesus. Pray to Him. Dig into His Word. You can count on Him to build endurance from that suffering, strengthen your character, and fill you with a confident hope in Him.
Suffering Is Real. So Is Hope.
We live in a world of pain, loss, and brokenness—and yet, as believers, we are called to see suffering differently. The Word teaches us that endurance, character, and hope are born in the fire of trials. In this deeply personal piece, we reflect on how faith shapes our response to suffering and how Christ transforms our trials into strength.
Now more than ever, we must stand firm and fight the fight of faith.
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