“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

Suffering, tragedies, tribulations, strife, anguish, and troubles. We all face them in our lives. When others ask us, “How are you,” we tend to always reply “good” or “I’m fine.” Who really wants to hear of your personal troubles anyway…right? Though in the Psalms, we are reminded “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never permit the righteous to be moved.”

But, in reality, we all face “suffering” in one way or another; it comes to us in many ways, but we all experience it. As the Apostle Paul reminds us, this produces endurance (patience and perseverance) and in turn, this endurance creates hope. This is the key, our suffering shapes us. It is our reactions to suffering that can produce the hope that we need to feel God’s love. 

How we respond to the tribulations in our life can give us the most important lessons. What would laughter be without tears? Happiness without sadness? Through the tough times we learn character and perseverance; this puts our lives into perspective, and we learn to see what is truly important in our lives - suffering reminds us of the love we have in our lives and it drives us. 

Family game night can sometimes be troublesome in our household. I dread Candyland, the hearts candy and candy canes produce tears, anguish, and sometimes a revolt. I try to remind my children that without the sour and bitter in life, the sweet wouldn’t be so sweet. We will all face tragedies and suffering in our lives, but we can learn the most valuable lessons from them. They truly shape who we are, putting our lives in perspective, producing hope, and revealing God’s love. 

Prayer: Lord, through our toughest times help us see the hope, reassurance, and character You have provided within ourselves and others, in Your great name we pray. Amen.