Life is hard. Deal with it.
Romans 8:18
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 letter to the Romans is one packed full of the Gospel, and one of my favorite chapters is Romans 8. My Grandpa Carter’s “life verse” was Romans 8:28… If you don’t know it, I’m not typing it out. Go read the chapter and then let verse 28 sit on your heart.
Folks, life is hard. Sin has corrupted our planet, our nature, and has tainted everything it touches. While life is beautiful, it is not without its challenges. Life is hard, so deal with it.
How do you “deal with it”? How do we reconcile evil, wrong-doing, and suffering?
The Gospel is the great equalizer. The “Good News” is that Jesus has suffered in our place and if we by faith follow Him, He will save us.
Suffering comes with the gift of life. but how often have many of us wondered how much more we can take? The believers in Rome were in the same space - to associate with Jesus meant persecution.
Paul’s encouragement was to endure the suffering with hope, because there is another world coming full of God’s glory that will make the pain seem trivial. It’s hard to imagine that, but Paul points us to Jesus.
Sin has brought suffering in the world, but God also uses that pain to bring glory to Him through our sanctification. We live in a world, in a universe, where we can not exist without Him - the creation needs the Creator, and he means us good (Romans 8:28).
When I look back on life and think about the times of suffering, I remind myself of Joseph and what he said when in front of his brothers. Joseph, had endured terrible pain, broken relationships, and being lied on, but he could see how God used those events to shape & prepare him to help others.
Genesis 50:19 & 20
But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”
Life is hard. Deal with it. God has promised that it will be worth it. Lean on Jesus, marinate in the Gospel daily, and trust that God means you well… even in the hard times.
