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“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. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.”
(Romans 5:3-6, ESV).
I don’t know about you, but nothing seems pleasant about suffering. After watching my Dad endure the painful aftermath of five failed hernia surgeries, I grew up realizing that finding the purpose behind pain isn’t natural. Our human nature doesn’t innately think, “How can I grow from this experience?” but rather, “How quickly can I move on and be healed?”
It wasn’t until I graduated from college and started suffering from physical health issues myself that I began to understand. I’d grown up with anxiety and depression, but dealing with the searing knife of Endometriosis and IBS-C was enough to set me over the edge. When the pain rarely stopped, I realized how bitter the faith of endurance is.
As of 2024, my Dad has suffered for fourteen years, and I was fourteen when that agony began. As of 2024, I have suffered physically for five years. I will not pretend to understand his pain, and he doesn’t try to comprehend mine. Everyone in this world experiences pain—physical, mental, emotional, and social—in some way, shape, or form. One type is not greater than the other. Romans 5 reminds us that if we endure, character and hope will result.
