It is natural and of the flesh to try to avoid suffering in life. We try desperately to control the world we live in and when that fails sometimes people find ways to escape the reality of life through life controlling substances, habits, or behaviors. These lead to greater levels of suffering and hopelessness.
What is needed in these times is hope and the way to hope as given in scripture is through suffering. God gives the prescription and the steps to restored hope. It begins by dealing with suffering in a Godly and biblical way. That is to not avoid suffering because this is impossible. To not try to control the circumstances and the world around us, this is impossible and will only lead to greater despair when this fails.
The way God wants us to deal with suffering is to go through it with Him. He will provide the strength we need and the result of that will be a stronger you, one who has the strength to endure, one who is full of biblical character and love for God, and one who is filled with hope. The world is in short supply of hope. God gives us a surplus of hope through this process that we can share with the world.
The is the power and the good news of Christ Jesus. The world needs this message of hope.
“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:6–8)
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