The Fellowship of Suffering

"I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings..." -Philippians 3:10

I was thinking this morning, as I drove to church, about a friend who is going through a difficult time with their newborn daughter.  She has a heart problem and may eventually need a transplant.  We are praying a transplant will be unnecessary.  I was reflecting on some of the sufferings of life I have been through.  Of course, I've never had to deal with the possibility of losing a child.  Nonetheless, on more than one occasion I have prayed the prayer of the Apostle Paul, that I may know Christ and the fellowship of His sufferings.

Sometimes I think, "Lord, why do I pray such prayers!?"

The knowing Christ part, I want that.  The suffering part - the reality of suffering - that is the hard part.  God could give me a problem free life is ease.  Some people, on the surface, seem to have such a life.  For most of us, however, life is not that easy.

If God could make life wonderfully easy all of the time that might be nice.  But I think there are things we learn through suffering we would never know otherwise.  God does a deep work in our lives through suffering that is of immeasurable value.  It is something we would never experience if things were always easy.

So, in a sense, the hardships of life are a gift of God to us.

Romans 8:18 says, "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us."  Now this glory Paul speaks of is certainly an eternal, heavenly glory.  It is a glory that will one day be when we trade our frail, mortal, and sick bodies in for an incorruptible heavenly body.  However, I also see a present application.  God reveals His glory in us, on this earth, through the suffering we endure.  What He does in our suffering becomes a message that burns in our hearts.  We have a testimony to share with the world of God's love and faithfulness.  Our lives become a picture of the demonstration of His power as His healing is revealed.