(Pt.2)
"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 5:3-5
Unfortunately, some people come through suffering with nothing more than a testimony: a traumatic story of how they persevered through the pain. For most, that story isn’t even about persevering, but more of a memorial to the pain they experienced. I find it hard to believe that the only purpose for our suffering is to memorialize our pain. Yet for many that is the long and short of it. Suffering is nothing more than pain in the moment with a memorial at the end.
However, Romans 5:3-5 teaches us that suffering is producing much more than just pain in your life. Suffering also produces greater endurance, the character of God, and real lasting hope.
With that said, I want to put a little caveat in here to say; that I am not advocating that God causes us to suffer in order to teach us things. I do feel that God works to redeem the trials we experience, by making sure we can glean more than just pain from it and that we walk away with more than just a great testimony, but greater endurance, deeper godly character and unshakable hope.
The Apostle Paul told the Corinthians, in the midst of their trials, to expect more than just a great testimony:
“ Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”-2 Corinthians 4:16-18
The Apostle Peter declared to the early church: “ 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
They wanted the early church to understand what suffering was achieving for them now! Even Jesus understood that the goal of suffering went far beyond a stellar resurrection story. His suffering was going to achieve something far greater.
“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.”-1 Peter 3:18
Suffering wasn’t contrary to Christ’s nature, it was a part of it:
“He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces, he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our grief and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.”- Isaiah 53:3-4
Suffering is part of a spiritual process that is producing greater endurance within us. Endurance that we need to hold onto God’s promises over a long difficult stretch of time. It is during this stretch of time that God begins to build His nature in us. Developing the fruit of long-suffering within us, so that when the pain of our current suffering is gone we are left with more than a story to tell, but we ourselves are a reflection of the character of God. His character then produces hope in us, but not a fleeting hope that withers when things don’t happen immediately. A hope rooted not in, God’s timing, but in God’s character. When we walk through trials, God is building his character in us and in turn achieving an unshakeable lasting hope.
Are you able to see past the pain? I am not saying that we should ignore the pain, but rather are we able to look beyond it to see that God is doing so much more than building a testimony in your life. He’s building endurance, developing His character in you, and establishing a lasting hope in your heart.
Scott Burr
Dayspring Community Church
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