{"id":6661,"date":"2026-02-18T19:23:28","date_gmt":"2026-02-18T19:23:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/livingtheadventure.net\/?p=6661"},"modified":"2026-05-14T19:24:07","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T19:24:07","slug":"rejoice-in-suffering","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/livingtheadventure.net\/?p=6661","title":{"rendered":"Rejoice in Suffering"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,<\/em> 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.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.<\/em> (Romans 5:3-5, 10-11, 19)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Words used together that are opposites is called an oxymoron. When we read, \u201cJumbo Shrimp\u201d or \u201cBittersweet\u201d our minds do gymnastics to understand the juxtaposition of these two words and how they apply to our lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the Lenten Adventure, our weekly emails will focus on Romans 5. This week we begin in verse 3 with an oxymoron. We read in the first part of Romans 5:3, \u201cMore than that, we rejoice in our sufferings\u2026<\/em>\u201d Now hold on\u2026rejoice in our sufferings? This is not our normal experience. When we experience suffering, struggles, and trials, we tend to fight the depressive emotions of sadness and defeat. We tend to wallow in our suffering taking into our lives the thoughts of \u201cwoe is me\u201d and blame, seeking to find understanding and resolution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the previous verses of chapter 5, Paul has been placing our focus on our justification through Jesus\u2019 sacrifice. We are reminded of the peace, grace, faith, and hope we have received. He writes in verse 2, \u201cwe rejoice in hope of the glory of God.<\/em>\u201d Our ability to rejoice in our suffering is based in our understanding of the gift Jesus has given us through our justification and new life. We recognize we were not promised life would be easy when we chose to follow Jesus. We were told to prepare for issues and struggles. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus taught, \u201cBlessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you<\/em>\u201d (Matthew 5:11-12). Jesus also taught, \u201cI have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world<\/em>\u201d (John 16:33).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We rejoice in our suffering because we know we are not alone. Our Lord and Savior experienced suffering, yet he used that suffering to bring life. In the preface to E. Stanley Jones\u2019 book Christ and Human Suffering<\/em>, Anne Mathews-Younes writes, \u201cJones\u2019 book moves beyond answering the \u2018why\u2019 questions we so often ask of suffering and on to sharing just \u2018how\u2019 suffering can be used to further personal transformation. Jones affirms that we can make our sorrows contribute to transforming ourselves and others<\/em>\u201d (Page 9).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we continue through Romans 5, we will see how Brother Stanley\u2019s words are applied to our lives. When we change our perspective and mindset toward suffering from something to solve or \u201cfigure out,\u201d to a place of rejoicing in suffering, we will soon discover new growth in our lives. We move from problem solver to receiving life in its fullness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you experiencing suffering, struggles, or trials in your life? Are you wallowing or rejoicing? Wallowing places my focus on the problem, while rejoicing focuses me on the God who cares and will use my present condition to bring new growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prayer: Lord, thank you that in my hope in you, I can rejoice in suffering. When I lose my focus on you, remind me how you bring transformation and growth as I walk through each trouble I face. Thank you for being with me. In Jesus\u2019 name. Amen.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6376,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6661","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t