“that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;” – Philippians 3:10
The apostle Paul understood that suffering is part of the Christian life because Jesus Christ Himself suffered. While suffering in and of itself should not be desired, Jesus followers realize that suffering in this life physically, emotionally, spiritually is often a result of faithfully following Jesus. And as hard as it may be sometimes, we are called to rejoice in suffering (Matthew 5:10; 1 Peter 4:13). How can we rejoice in suffering? We rejoice by remembering that God is in control and that God is with us. Furthermore, Paul also reminds us here that suffering conforms us to the image of Jesus, and it provides us an opportunity to share with those around us the power of Christ to comfort us in the midst of our pain.
Do you view suffering as something to rejoice in?
