Hope in suffering

9-17-21
Today's devotion is based on Peter 4:13, “But rejoice insofar as you are sharing Christ’s sufferings, so that you may also be glad and shout for joy.”

While this passage is talking about suffering because of your Christian faith, I think that we, as Christians can find comfort in this passage when we suffer from events in our life that plaques all people. Being a Christian does not guarantee that life will always go our way or that suffering can be avoided. I really wish it were otherwise, but it is not. Time and time again, suffering is mentioned as part of the Christian life.

Sometimes we want to offer people simple explanations and platitudes when they are suffering. In our desire to encourage them and make them feel better, we can seem to dismiss the difficulty and pain of the situation they are facing. Sometimes we try to give them false hope that everything is ‘okay’ when we both know deep down that everything is not okay. Yes, our role is to encourage those hurting, but we must be truthful in this comfort and hope we offer. In this, we need to point our sisters and brothers to the hope we have in Christ over anything else.

Please pray with me the prayer for today: Lord, your suffering bought our salvation. May your suffering teach us to be more like you. Lord, help us to comfort those who are suffering with the comfort Christ offers us. In your holy name, I pray. Amen.