Romans 5:3–5
Rejoice in suffering. It may sound ridiculous, if not offensive, especially to those of us walking through the very real fires of life. For most, to rejoice in life means trying to remove as much of our hardship as possible. And to be clear, we shouldn’t be weird people who actively pursue suffering. Life isn’t some kind of bizarre spiritual CrossFit where actively punishing ourselves somehow brings us closer to God.
Still, one of the most astounding implications of dwelling with Jesus is that we can now view our suffering through a new set of eyes. It may honestly feel like a mystery that takes the whole journey of life to fully unpack. But when suffering occurs—and for all of us it’s not an if but a when—we recognize God’s invitation to enjoy his very real presence with us.
Paul was writing to a people like us who experienced the hard things of life—a people who faced the sort of challenges leading them to understandably question all these wonderful doctrines of salvation that Paul had written about. Like some of us may ask, “If we’re really doing all this gospel-centered life right, should life be this hard?”
Paul’s reply: actually, yes.
Part of working out our salvation is growing in awareness of the Lord’s presence. Absolutely in those moments when we’d naturally expect to feel his presence, times of sweet communion or satisfying moments of ministry when there’s absolutely no doubt that God really loves us. It’s right to savor and enjoy God in those times, but not just in those times.
Working out the profound implications of Good News is learning to trust the presence of Christ with us in all things—even those horrible things that keep us up at night drowning in the sorrow of helpless tears.
Again, we don’t celebrate suffering itself. Rather, we boast “in” our afflictions. That’s a critical distinction. We’re not masochists who think pain itself is good. May we be compassionate people who grieve with those who suffer very real pain. Because into that grief, we can also offer real hope. Hope that even if we may never fully understand the “why” of suffering—at least on this side of glory—knowing the “who” invites us to trust in God’s character. To trust that there is a divine meaning to the hard things we endure, meaning that even lets us rejoice believing that we are being shaped to reflect his good glory to our world.
Our suffering produces endurance. As a runner training for a marathon has to believe, those grueling practice runs are building endurance for the race. Knowing your aim can help give meaning to what may feel like torture.
And this endurance produces character. I chuckle when newlywed couples offer marriage advice. Not that it’s unhelpful, but there is a weight girding the wisdom offered by couples who’ve endured through long, hard years together and come out stronger. Character isn’t developed like heating up a quick dish in the microwave; it requires the slow cooker of life that sometimes doesn’t even look like it’s cooking.
And demonstrated character then leads to hope. It’s important to recognize that the nature of hope is that we don’t yet have what we’re longing for.
Persevering in hope can make you feel silly, but this journey of hope grows our trust in who God is. Even as it feels like so many other promises of our world ultimately disappoint, God will never let you down.
This isn’t just sweetly sentimental. God’s love is an on-the-ground, dirt-under-the-nails kind of presence. It’s the demonstrated love of a Savior suffering on a real cross that speaks hope into the darkest of places.
It’s the kind of hope where you discover that even if everything else in this world feels like it’s against you, God is for you, and that’s enough.
In the countercultural ways of God, suffering isn’t just something to be endured, but the mystery of his loving hands forming us in beauty. Trust that God loves you like this, and even if your hands are trembling, rejoice in your suffering.
Dan Hyun finds joy in equipping the church to experience God’s presence in cultivating a deeper passion for reconciliation, justice, and mission. He is the founding pastor of The Village Church in Baltimore and author of The Bible in 52 Weeks.
This article appeared in the The Road to Joy issue of Christianity Today as "Rejoice in Our Suffering".
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