Rejoicing through Suffering

Not only that, but 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)

​When we go through difficult times in life, rejoicing is usually the last thing we think about.  It is usually the furthest thing from our mind.  Yet, Paul says as believers we should rejoice in our sufferings.  How’s that?  Why’s that?  How can we possibly find or experience any amount of joy when we suddenly lose our job or are diagnosed with a serious illness or our marriage is in turmoil or we experience the sudden loss of a loved one?  This is because Paul takes a long view of life.  He goes on to say in Romans 5:3-6 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.”  In other words, the rejoicing is not in the suffering itself, but in the long-term spiritual benefits from it.  As we experience difficulty in life and as we cling to Christ through that difficulty, we become spiritually stronger.  Our faith is strengthened.  Suffering produces endurance.  And as we continue through that endurance and as our faith in Christ is strengthened, we become more like Christ, our character is shaped into the image of Christ.  And this Christ-like character produces increased hope in God.  And hope never puts us to shame, or as the NASB words it, “does not disappoint because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”  In other words, what helps us get through the difficult times in life is knowing that somehow God is using this for our good.