Rejoice in Suffering

Dear Victorious,

I participate in a Bible study that is using a study guide for Romans. (We meet for breakfast once each week.) This past week, we got into quite a discussion about what Paul says in Romans 5:3-5, about "rejoicing in our suffering." What exactly did Paul mean by that? Most of us can't imagine ourselves rejoicing in our suffering. Is that really what we're supposed to do?

Lawrence P. - Frisco, TX

Dear Lawrence,

Paul could have meant many things when he discussed "rejoicing in our suffering." But the most obvious meaning is also the most important. Paul didn't want us to dismiss the value of suffering. It is human to want to avoid suffering at all costs. It is human to view all suffering as bad. But such a disposition toward suffering ignores the reality that suffering is not without benefits (albeit most of them long term).

It has been said that suffering is the training ground for spiritual maturity. Put another way, those who have suffered much tend to acquire a great deal of maturity in the process. Suffering has a way of quieting our spirits, getting us focused on what really matters and discarding the chafe in our thinking. That's not to say that those who haven't suffered can't be spiritually mature. But it is to say that suffering and maturity tend to go hand in hand.

There is another dimension of suffering's benefit too. It is the benefit that others might derive from my suffering. Too often we think of our suffering as being all about us. It isn't. Look at Job in the Old Testament, for example. He suffered greatly. But there was a purpose to his suffering that hasn't even been completely accomplished yet. People today are still learning from Job's suffering. Of course Jesus' suffering is another example. His suffering wasn't about Him. It was about us. We were the beneficiaries of Jesus' suffering. Here's the thing, the purpose of your suffering today may be to teach something to someone who is watching your suffering. Did you ever consider that?

I don't think Paul expected us to literally rejoice in our suffering. But I do think he wanted us to recognize the inherent value that suffering produces. And he wanted us to realize that this value is not otherwise accessible. Put another way, Paul wanted us to know that suffering, while painful, gives us access to benefits and value that we would otherwise never know. God is a very purpose-driven Lord. He wouldn't allow His people to suffer if there wasn't a purpose to that suffering. In that, we truly can rejoice.