Romans 5:3-6
Thoughts from Pastor Josh
Dive Deeper
Behind the Scenes
Rejoice in suffering — that seems like a bit of an oxymoron, doesn’t it?
Have you ever said anything negative about Justin Bieber? Guilty as charged over here for me. Did you also know that 63% of suicides are from fatherless homes? And that 80% of rapists come from fatherless homes? And that 85% of youths in prison come from fatherless homes? You may be wondering how the above verse connects with these statistics and Justin Bieber, but stay with me, if you will.
Recently, Justin Bieber wrote about Jesus Christ on his Instagram account to his 161 million followers (it’s worth a google search). We hear celebrities mention God, but speaking about Jesus Christ isn’t as common, and it had me feeling guilty that I’ve been quick to judge. I mean, he did try to smuggle a monkey into the Unites States from Germany in 2014…but still. In scripture, we read words from Paul who mercilessly killed Christians before he accepted Jesus Christ as his savior. I cannot begin to imagine the process of letting go of shame for him. Justin Bieber may not have killed, but he talks about heavy addiction, anger, and disrespecting women. He grew up in a fatherless home, and then had attention from the world because of his talent. The cards were not aligned for his success, and the world was there to beat him into his own grave when he struggled most.
Make it Real
I was mulling the scripture passage over, and I thought about Justin Bieber, Paul, and myself. I thought about other struggles that my friends and family have faced, and about struggles that I have faced. I have been stuck in the suffering phase.
Rejoice in suffering. It is not optional; it is a command. Rejoice in suffering. Rejoice in suffering. I believe that when we fail to adhere to the first part of this scripture, it is the beginning of a downward spiral that has some of us flailing in deep, dark waters. When we are unable to move past suffering, we can’t get to the endurance part. I don’t know where you are in your life today, but if you are struggling, I encourage you to give that struggle to God. He is the answer to our suffering. We have the command to rejoice in it, and that makes me certain that we are meant to give the suffering to Jesus. Only when He walks with us in that space can we move on to endurance. Endurance produces character. Character produces hope, and when we have HOPE, we cannot be put to shame.
2020 has been a doozy. Already-struggling parents have been tested to the limit. Loneliness has been exacerbated. The potential to get stuck in the “suffering” stage has been more tempting than ever before, but Jesus wants to strengthen you in the middle of it today. He wants to help you not just survive, but to thrive… to move from a heart of suffering to a heart of endurance, right in the middle of your circumstances. Whatever you have been through lately, fight the statistics and move past suffering. If you are a single parent worried about your children, open your hands to Jesus, because He is a statistic-changer every day. He is bigger than our suffering. He leads us to hope. I dare you to close your eyes and thank God for whatever suffering you are enduring right now and ask what your next steps are.
AMEN! We are in this together!
Much Love~
Ali Bair
ACF Devo Team
End in Prayer
Hey God,
Thank you that the struggles in my life are producing endurance in me. Thank You that you use even the hardest times of my life to build me up and strengthen me. Please help me to trust You in this process and surrender to Your perfecting hand working in the middle of my struggles. Thank You that You are always faithful and I can trust you.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.