Bible Passage: “And not only that, but we also boast in our afflictions…” (Romans 5:3 CSB)
Scripture Reading: Romans 5:1-5
Of all the ways God builds godly character, this may be the hardest to embrace, yet it’s also one of the most transformative:
Nothing shapes us like suffering.
I can point to several seasons of intense suffering in my own life. I hated every moment. I wouldn’t choose to relive them, and I’d never wish them on anyone. Yet surprisingly, I find myself grateful for what God taught me through those painful chapters.
This is why Paul encourages us to rejoice in our sufferings (Romans 5:3). At first glance, that sounds absurd. But Paul explains that suffering produces a chain of qualities we rarely develop otherwise:
Endurance, proven character, and hope.
James adds even more in James 1:2-4. In God’s hands, our suffering is never wasted. Paul assures us that every tear, every struggle, every hard-won moment of perseverance is producing an eternal weight of glory we cannot yet see (2 Corinthians 4:17).
But here’s the crucial part: everything depends on our response.
We can waste our suffering if we allow bitterness to take root or if we turn away from God rather than toward Him. When we bring our raw questions and honest doubts to God, when we cry out to Him in the darkness, He promises to meet us, sustain us, and grow us through these trials.
Charles Swindoll once observed, “When I ask people when they really grew spiritually, they never describe an easy time. Never.”[1] Suffering isn’t necessarily a sign you’ve done something wrong. Sometimes it’s simply the cost of living in a fallen world.
The good news?
God never wastes our seasons of suffering. He uses them to refine us and teach us lessons we could learn no other way.
Payer: Lord, use my sufferings to help build a godly character in my life. Amen.
Reflection: What is God teaching me in my suffering?
[1] https://x.com/chuckswindoll/status/1906678026366005345?s=61
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