“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” (‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭5‬:‭10‬ ‭ESV‬‬)

D.A. Carson once said: “The truth of the matter is that all we have to do is live long enough and we will suffer.”

Is this not the truth? If we live long enough, we will suffer, we will bleed, we will face many trials. Nobody is excluded from suffering. Eventually it will happen to us all, in various degrees, of course.

Christian, I don’t intend to make you feel down by admitting that suffering is going to come. The Bible makes it clear that we will suffer, definitely if we desire to live godly lives. We must be realistic about suffering because Scripture is realistic. We must face suffering head-on, with eyes set on a Jesus.

This doesn’t mean we should enjoy suffering. Suffering isn’t fun, there’s no doubt about that. Whether it’s physical ailments, mental illness, or a catastrophic circumstance, it is never a good thing to endure. But we can learn to endure while being held by our Heavenly Father, knowing He cares for us.

Perhaps you question the love of God when you suffer. Please don’t. Don’t you know that the Father allowed, planned, ordained His own Son to suffer for all our sins? That was an eternal display of divine love. Our suffering doesn’t mean God’s love is absent, but it’s there all the more in a special way.

Friend, are you suffering? I’m sorry it’s happening to you, but keep going. Keep moving. Keep striving with your head held high, looking to the gospel.