Day 26

Suffering is often not an enemy but a friend.

‘In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered’ (Hebrews 2:10)

Jesus had to learn obedience and he did so partly through suffering. In our developed modern world, suffering is an enemy we do all we can to eliminate. Most of us are grateful for that, and rightly so, butsuffering is not always our enemy. Sometimes it is our friend. We cannot avoid suffering in our fallen world, but we can choose to resist it, fight it, or embrace it as a means of grace in our lives.

I have known people whose suffering has made them bitter people and others whose suffering has made them better people. It depends on our perspective. In the life of Jesus, ‘Son though he was, he learnedobedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him’ (Hebrews 5:8- 9). His suffering is associated with His being ‘made perfect;’ therewere no imperfections to be dealt with. Development, growth and human maturity are aided by suffering. Scripture tell us to, ‘endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children’(Hebrews 12:7). We may confidently thank God that our hardships are not wasted and we can trust the Lord Jesus to bring about greater benefits through them.

Is suffering making you bitter or better?