Episode 72 - Hope blooms from suffering

Welcome back to The Sojo Show! If you're listening to us real-time, this is Holy Week, the week before EASTER! And today we're finishing up the Praying the Promises of the Cross series and looking into Jen’s favorite Bible verse.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

Paul's perspective is described well in this beloved verse. Romans 8:18 is beautiful and if you open up to the beauty of the truth of this verse, you will be transformed. Your entire perspective on your earthly existence will be changed. 

Consider dumping a glass of water in the ocean. Your suffering is the water in the glass. 

The glory that you will one day see is the ocean. 

Not only do we need to recognize that our suffering is limited and has a purpose, but it also helps us to become more like Christ. 

We rejoice in our sufferings knowing that suffering produces endurance and endurance produces character. Character produces hope. And hope does not put us to shame because God's love is poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. 

Whatever our suffering, it doesn't compare to future glory. Paul understood pain very deeply, but still from his perspective, our present sufferings are insignificant compared to the glories that are to be revealed in us. We can suffer because we know that it's gonna be a glass of water in an ocean of glory. 

Our pain is not being minimized by this verse-it simply puts our suffering into an eternal perspective.

He who lays up treasures on earth spends his life backing away from his treasures. To him, death is loss. He who lays up treasures in heaven looks forward to eternity; he's moving daily toward his treasures. To him, death is gain. He who spends his life moving toward his treasures has reason to rejoice. Are you despairing or rejoicing? - Randy Alcorn

This quote it’s brought up by AJ during this episode as it says it all: we are moving towards the greatest thing ever, the culmination of everything we've been given in Christ. Nothing you have done is outside of what God can redeem.  

And if you are listening to us in real-time, Easter is around the corner. Memorize this verse, listen to this powerful episode, and ask yourself: how does this change how you see your suffering?

There is a purpose for all of this!

We encourage you to invite someone to go to church with you this weekend! Invite somebody to go with you and build a relationship with someone who is not a believer.

Be encouraged that Christ died for your sins. He was resurrected. You can now stand before a holy God righteous because of HIM! Amen! Happy Holy Week. Happy Easter!