Devotion - Monday, March 30 - The Fruit of Suffering

As a country, this current generation of Americans has never experienced anything like what we are going through now. It’s during times like these that we can learn a great deal about ourselves – both good and bad. Someone once gave an illustration using a glass of water filled to the rim. When the glass is bumped (no pun intended) some of the content spills out, but more importantly whatever is in the glass is what spills out. We are not so different… when we are bumped – when we suffer, when difficult, uncomfortable trials and tribulations bump us, what’s inside of us comes out in how we react and respond. The contents could be anger, frustration, self-centeredness, bitterness and hopelessness to name a few. It can also be endurance, character, and hope.

What’s spilling out of you right now?

For most of us, it is probably some of both. I believe and trust God and his Word. My struggle is that I don’t want to suffer. I don’t want my life to have struggles and trials; I want my sanctification to be on my terms.

Our Father’s primary work in our lives is to conform us to the image of His Son – it’s our holiness before our comfort – and the fact of the matter is He gains the greatest ground in our hearts through suffering.

Not only that, but 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 5:3–5 ESV)

Practically, how is your endurance being produced during this crisis?
In what ways is your character growing in Christlikeness?
How is the truth of God’s love for you giving you hope during this time?