Theology for Everybody: RomansSample

Most people have emotional lives that resemble boats. When the tide rises, the boat rises, and when the tide falls, the boat falls. When our days are good, we feel good. When our days are bad, we feel bad.

In contrast, the Holy Spirit, through Paul, teaches us to do something that may seem altogether odd: “rejoice in our sufferings” (v. 3). We learn many things in life, but how to suffer well is not one of them. It is not a subject taught in school or a degree you can earn in college. However, it is something we all experience.

The Holy Spirit designed a chain reaction of grace to work in our lives. Paul describes the five steps the Holy Spirit walks us through when we face suffering:

1. We rejoice in our sufferings ... (v. 3). Anyone can rejoice after suffering is over. For Christians, our secret to joy is finding reasons and ways to rejoice in the middle of the suffering. Suffering is not a misery for the believer; it’s a ministry. Suffering is an opportunity granted by God, and we can make the most of it by asking some questions:

-How does my suffering make me grateful that Jesus suffered for me?

-How is God growing my character through suffering?

-How can my suffering give me more empathy for hurting people so I can minister to them better?

2. Knowing that suffering produces endurance ... (v. 3). In athletic competition, the key to victory is not giving up until the competition is complete. For Christians, the same is true. Until we see Jesus, we must stay in the fight and continue enduring until we see the promised victory.

3. And endurance produces character... (v. 4). Our world is fond of counting calories, dollars, and ballots, but God wants His people first to count character. Character is the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control (see Galatians 5:22–23). Just as resistance training strengthens the body, suffering is a form of spiritual resistance training that strengthens our character. This is why the worst times often produce the best people. The greatest misery is the greatest opportunity to experience the greatest ministry.

4. And character produces hope ... (v. 4). Suffering is a kind of trial by fire that has a unique way of burning away all objects of faith but God. When we hope in anyone or anything other than God, we find we have hoped in vain. When we are left with nothing but God as our only hope, it is then that we really have hope.

5. And hope does not put us to shame (v. 5). No one who runs to God in the middle of dark days is ever ashamed for going to Him. No one who invests their hardships in the bank of their character fails to see a good return on their investment. Those who trust in God, are filled with the Spirit, seek to grow in character, and rejoice in their suffering have nothing to be ashamed of. When they stand before Jesus, they will hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” There will be no shame for them. There will only be the Savior who is awaiting them.

For leaders, increasing your pain threshold is key to increasing your impact. Greater impact requires greater pain. The greatest leaders have endured the greatest pain. This explains why Jesus Christ is the greatest leader—He endured the greatest pain in the history of the world.

For parents, the key to raising children of character is teaching them to rejoice through suffering. Don’t remove the opportunity God has given them to grow in character. Let them learn to endure patiently.

Today’s Reflection

How can you increase your pain threshold?