Moments with my First Love [UNDER REVISION]

MOMENT 32: Fruits of Sufferings

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

More than that, 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. -Romans 5:1-5

God wants us to see negative things as positive things just like how He sees it. He is teaching us to look at sufferings the way He sees it.

Come to think of it... When life is too smooth, you're just relaxing and holding things easily. But when storms are ranging, you suddenly become so serious in your faith. Sufferings only produce good fruits if you remain in the will of God with rejoicing heart.

How to rejoice in the midst of the sufferings? By trusting God. It doesn't mean that rejoicing is you go to at party, you laugh out loud while hanging out with your friends. No, not like like.

When you do that, you are somewhat pretending. Because who could ever deny that they are feeling down and they worry when facing sufferings, right? We are humans.

But by trusting God, even if we are facing hardships, we still have this joy within us that makes us calm because there is a God that's always with us and the One who is in control of everything.

Fruits of suffering:
I. ENDURANCE
- ability to deal with pain or sufferinf that continues for a long time
- the quality of continuing for a long time.

When suffering arises, does control you? Does it manipulates you? You are the one who must control what you will do and how will you move with the help of the Lord.

Don't let suffering stop you from walking into His promise. Suffering must become your motivation to continue in your faith in God.

II. CHARACTER
- the way of someone thinks, feels and behaves; someone's personality.
- a set of quality that makes you different from others.

God is more concerned in changing your character than changing your situation. Suffering does not last forever, but you will carry your character for eternity.

God wants to shape your thinking, your heart, your behavior, your personality throigh suffering. God wants to you bear good character which will make you different from this world.

III. HOPE
God wants you to expect in Him with confidence. He wants you to trust Him. There are many people who decided to pray for rain but only one person brought an umbrella.

That's how we should expect to the Lord, with great confidence. God said in James 1:6-7, "But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord."

In times of suffering, God wants us to put our full hope in Him. In our season of suffering, desire what God wants you to learn and what He wants you to be.

Remember that everything works together for your good. :)

Shalom!
To God be all the Glory! :)