Paul wrote to encourage a group of Christ-followers to hang on as they faced trials and difficulties:

Let us boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Suffering forges perseverance, character and hope. As hammer pounds against the anvil, such qualities emerge. When we turn toward the Lord in our hardships we solidify. Our souls gain muscle and sinew, colors brighten. Life leaves scars, and scars show you’ve been around.

False summits disappear with our invitation to the Holy Spirit’s work. The Spirit brings a tangible realization of God’s love, serving as our advocate in a life of faith.

Like the Roman believers, hang in with the suffering that plagues us all. The blows eventually deliver—through a path of perseverance and character—the hope of God, and a richer perspective on his love for you and me.

Romans 5 in reading the Bible in 2023

Photo by Jonny Gios