Romans 8:18 (ESV)
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time
are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
As you read this, some of you have joints that are
screaming from rheumatoid arthritis. Some of you are miserable from
chemotherapy. Some of you have back pain so severe you can only stand, sit, or
sleep for short periods of time. Some of you get frequent headaches so massive
that any kind of light or sound is a torture. Some of you are reeling from
multiple surgeries, barely recovering from one when doctors tell you to get
ready for another. And some of you possess one of a thousand other maladies—physical
or emotional. What they all have in common is that they all define what it is
to suffer.
It’s often when our suffering is at its worst that the
devil walks in, ready to attack our faith. Many times his weapon of choice is
the comparison. He points out other people similar to us in age and
circumstance. He comments that they don’t seem to have anything near the
suffering and pain that we have. And with that, he lets our sinful nature do
the rest. He lets our sinful nature drag us away into the dungeon of self-pity.
But the Lord of your life has something to say about
this. He speaks though the apostle Paul. Paul, as you may know, is someone who
knew all about severe suffering. He grappled with a terrible problem that
appeared to plague him until he died. Instead of comparing himself to others
who did not have to suffer as he did, Paul made the comparison that really
matters. He said, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth
comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”
What is the specific reason why the Lord is allowing us
to suffer? That is not for us to say. Perhaps it is to nurture within us our
faith. Perhaps it is to give others around us a living, breathing sermon on
Christian courage. Perhaps it is to bring us into contact with a lost soul the
Lord will save through our witness. Perhaps it’s for an entirely different
reason.
Never forget, however, the comparison that matters. Your
temporary suffering is a droplet in comparison to the oceans of joy that await
you in heaven. That’s why Jesus came. That’s why he suffered and died for your
sins. That’s why he rose. That’s why he lives!
Dear Lord, stand beside us in our suffering. Strengthen us
by your Spirit. Remind us that the pain is temporary and that the joy of heaven
is eternal. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
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