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.
(Romans 5:3-5)
Yesterday, President Trump extended the time of our mandatory quarantine from April 12th to April 30th. This means we must not only face our suffering with faith but with ongoing faith, long faith or something the Bible calls perseverance. I know this time is trying but this is a great opportunity to grow, so be encouraged.
The Greek word for suffering is translated as tribulation, something that causes distress. It can range from minor annoyances that we go through every day, to major disasters that come sweeping down out of the blue and leave us stricken and smitten.
According to Romans 5, the Christian response to suffering is to rejoice. Do you mean to say that God is telling me that when I am hurting and in pain, I am expected to be glad and rejoice in that? How do you get to the place where you can rejoice in suffering? We rejoice because we know something. It is something our faith enables us to know, a kind of inside information that others do not share. We know that suffering produces and accomplishes something. It is productive. Suffering produces something worthwhile. The apostle says there are three things that suffering produces:
First, suffering produces perseverance. The Greek word literally means to abide under, to stay under the pressure. Pressure is something we want to get out from under, but suffering teaches us to stay under, to stick in there and hang with steadiness.
Second, steadiness produces character. The Greek word for character carries with it the idea of being put to the test and approved. It is the idea of being shown to be a more reliable person. Someone strong to be counted on.
Third, we find that reliability produces hope. The hope is that we will share the glory of God’s character. The hope that God is producing the image of Christ in us. This hope is a certainty, not just a possibility. We are being changed and becoming more like Jesus.
Even now look at the world around you we are more thoughtful, compassionate, loving, mellowed and thankful. We are becoming more like Christ — stronger, wiser, purer, more patient. He is transforming us into the image of his Son, so hang in there!
In His Service,
Eric Barnes
