Do you feel like you’re barely hanging on? Maybe you thought you had figured everything out, only to run headfirst into unexpected hardship. Life was pleasantly coasting by until you careened over the cliff into heartbreak, sorrow, and pain. If you’ve recently felt weak, wounded, tired, and weary, Christian, I urge and encourage you—don’t give up.
None of us prefer hardship, but we are reminded of its inevitability. Jesus promises that the world will hate us just as it hated him (John 15:18). Jesus cautions us that faithfulness means picking up a painful cross (Matthew 16:24). Peter warns us not to see hardship as strange or surprising (1 Peter 4:12). Paul reminds us that creation is groaning because of sin, leading to all sorts of natural disasters and hardships (Romans 8:19). The Christian life is inevitably marked by hardship.
But God also promises sweet truths to his followers in hardship. The greatest news for the struggling Christian is this—your suffering is worth it and purposeful. Your suffering is not accidental, wasted, or meaningless. God has a purpose for your present sorrow and hardship. He promises to comfort you (2 Corinthians 1:4), to grow you spiritually (James 1:2-4), to shape you into Christ’s image (Romans 8:28-29), to grant you endurance and hope (Romans 5:3-5), and best of all, to give you sufficient grace (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
I know in the moment of betrayal, loneliness, and depression that it’s easy to grow anxious of hypotheticals. What if things don’t get better? What if people don’t accept you? What if your greatest fears come true? Never forget that “God gives a greater grace” (James 4:6). Always remember that what is intended for evil is used by God for good (Genesis 50:20). Remember that God wants you to come to him with your hurts, problems, and sorrows, and in return he promises to give you rest (Matthew 11:28-30).
If you’re like me, hardship feels like slamming into an invisible wall. I’m initially shocked, surprised, and hurt. I ask why God would allow such hardship. I feel the pangs of frustration, and I feel the temptation toward discouragement.
Inevitably, God grabs my attention and reminds me that he is greater than my pain. The Holy Spirit reminds me that “the Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18). As my grandmother once wisely said, “God’s still on his throne.”
If you’re struggling with hardship, pain, sadness, loss, or hurt, remember God’s good promises. What is waiting for you in glory is far greater than these earthly losses (2 Corinthians 4:17-18) and will be worth all this life’s sorrows (Romans 8:18). When we hold fast to God’s promises through life’s sufferings, God promises eternal security—“Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12).
Christian, don’t grow weary in doing good. Don’t give in. Don’t give up. Keep pressing toward the prize, which is Jesus Christ and his eternal glory. It really is worth it.