Look at Romans 5:3-5: “Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”
The world is fallen. Therefore, we suffer. But God redeems suffering by making it a vehicle of transformation for us. Character transformation. He wants us to work those wimpy spiritual muscles so that we become strong in him. He wants to take our foolishness and give us wisdom. He wants to take our hardness of heart and soften it with compassion. He wants to transform our character.
And that is one of the reasons that we rejoice … see what it says: we rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces good things! Not only is God present with me, giving me grace to see me through, but I can rejoice in my sufferings because I know that I will be stronger and better as a result of it. Nothing is lost. Nothing is wasted. Nothing is useless.
God will use the worst times in my life to make me as strong as iron and as pure as gold. And
that is a reason to rejoice!
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