Suffering
We are not asked to suffer like Christ as an end goal. In this life, there is suffering, and we can look to Christ's example and see that there is a purpose to living.
“…suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”
Shepherd’s Note
Romans 5 gives suffering a direction, but never a compliment. Paul does not say pain is pleasant, or that GOD needs it to admire our endurance. He says suffering, held in Christ, can produce perseverance, and perseverance character, and character a hope that does not shame us. That chain is slow work, usually done in the dark, one unremarkable day of not quitting at a time. If you are in the middle of it, do not measure yourself by how it feels. Measure by this: hope is being built in you, even here.
This post is part of a series about my beach encounters with GOD. Read from the Beginning >>