Suffering Well

More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Romans 5:3-5 ESV

My first thoughts after reading this is: Just who is Paul kidding? Not us, right? Rejoice when we are suffering? Sure Paul, but I don’t think so. Somebody else maybe, but not me!

Right after that first hasty thought I had to pull myself up, stop, and take a deep breath while remembering a scene at a hospital bed many years before. I had a boys’ Sunday School class, and those days were ones of learning, certainly for me and I hoped for the lives which were in my Spiritual care too. That responsibility was taken very seriously, with much study and prayer. All of those lads became an extension to my own life.

A few short years after one of ‘my boys’ had left the class, he suffered a few terrible medical conditions which changed the course of his life. During part of the time he was in hospital I visited with my wife during regular visiting hours along with his mum and dad, our dear friends. Those were hard and long days. My place of work was not too far away, so sometimes I would take an extended break to visit on my own. David won’t remember all of these visits, but they are etched in my mind.

I am only telling you this to set the scene for a particular visit when the patient was asleep, and I struggled to find something to say or pray. I pulled the New Testament from my pocket, found this verse and read it out loud, thinking that he could possibly hear, even though asleep. I felt led to this passage, but it didn’t make sense to me at the time. With a lot of prayer from family and friends, he pulled through in an amazing manner.

Roll forward a few years, and this same young man is now an adult with numerous academic qualifications, and a university lecturer into the bargain. Who would have thought that the very condition which almost ‘floored’ him was the catalyst which made this determined child of God steel himself to prepare for the rest of his life. A life that the doctors said he wouldn’t have, and he proved them wrong. So this verse rings louder and clearer in my ears and heart now, as a reminder that God’s Will and Word is true and for keeps. I understand these words better now than I did all those years before where it says …we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Circumstances have changed for the worse once again for my now adult friend, and I have to believe the truth of this verse applies every bit as much now, as it did all those years ago. Lord Jesus, in everything that affects us, keep us faithful and believing.