Romans 5:3-5
“Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”
You may have heard of songs like “ME” by T-Swift or “Born this way” by Gaga. Their promise is simple: being yourself will bring you happiness and at first, it would seem to add up.
But we are left with some questions:
What if people don’t like who I am?
Should I accept the negative with the positive?
Can I fake it until I become who I wish to be?
What if I just don’t like who I am?
What is from God and what is just me?
After asking all of these questions this promise no longer seems simple. Instead of an easier or happier life, we suffer trying to figure out how to be ourselves.
God offers a different promise: Joy. The reality is, working toward joy also includes suffering. Paul explains that suffering for Christians leads to endurance, which leads to character and hope. This hope is significant since it “…does not disappoint us because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” This suffering leads to hope that is lasting and overflowing. Lasting hope can actually be called joy. This is a state of being that declares “I have suffered, just as my Savior has suffered, and I have found the king of kings and the source of all life. Knowing this has given me joy even in suffering.” Unlike happiness, joy in following Christ is guaranteed.
Suffering is inevitable when finding who you are. However, you can choose the purpose of your suffering: Either for the sake of appeasing the world’s goal or for the sake of becoming the joyful person God intended for you to be. Take time today to reflect on your current suffering or even past sufferings, how is God moving and working in the pain? Don’t miss out on leaning into endurance, character building, and a confident hope/joy in Jesus.