Finding Hope When Pregnancy Loss or Postnatal Challenges Are Expectedનમૂનો

As you’ve been making your way through this pregnancy living with the devastating knowledge that you may lose your precious child or that they may not live the life you had envisioned for them, you may be wondering why God would allow you and your child to suffer. We live in a world that assumes there is no greater purpose in life than the pursuit of happiness, and as a result we do everything in our power to avoid suffering. Our culture has concluded that there is no purpose for suffering and therefore anything that would cause us to suffer should be eliminated.

But I’ve got news for you: This belief is just not true.

What if I told you that there is a purpose in suffering? What if I told you that good can come out of it, that it’s even something for which to be thankful?

Let’s look at these two passages:

James 1:2-4

2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Romans 5:3-4

3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope.

Notice that both authors instruct the readers to glory and be joyful in their sufferings. How surprising and perplexing! I’m sure that wasn’t the message the recipients of these letters were expecting, and I wonder how they responded. Perhaps they felt like their trials and losses were being trivialized. The fact is, however, that James and the author of Romans had compassion for the people’s afflictions, but they also knew what suffering could produce. The result of suffering then remains the same today: maturity, character, and ultimately, hope.

If we allow ourselves to move through times of suffering without giving in to bitterness and resentment, we’ll find ourselves a better person when we come out the other side. We’ll have more patience, compassion, love and understanding for the people around us. We’ll be able to prioritize the things that matter most in our short time on Earth. Finally, God willing, we’ll have developed a deep and abiding love for Jesus by recognizing that He is our only hope in life and death.

You see, hope is the final outcome of suffering. Hardship opens our eyes to the reality that this world is not and never has been our home. Any hope we ever had of finding meaning or fulfilment or contentment in the trappings of this world disappears. In our desperation, as our eyes turn upward, we realize that heaven, Jesus’ residence, is our true home. He is our hope. He is our place of belonging. We wait with a deep longing for that eternal home where “He will wipe every tear from [our] eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away,” (Rev. 21:4). Though your heart is hurting, I pray that you find comfort and hope in Jesus today.

Questions:

Is there any resentment that you need to hand over to Jesus today?

How can the hope of eternal life with Jesus bring you hope in the midst of today’s hardship?

Prayer:

Dear Jesus, thank you that there is purpose in my suffering though it can be hard to understand. Please give me the strength to persevere, to draw nearer to You, and to mature in my faith. Please comfort me and give me hope for today and for my eternal tomorrow. I love you, Jesus. Amen.