Suffering to Be More Like Jesus
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” - Romans 8:28-29
1 Peter 1:11 talks about, “the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.” God's purpose in your life is to conform you to the image of His Son. And in order to do that, we have to endure suffering.
Thankfully, the story doesn’t end with our suffering. The Lord is able to take our hard times and use them for good, just like the familiar passage in Romans says: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters” (Romans 8:28-29).
All things work together for good. Not all things are good, let's face it, but God can work all things together for good. Do you know why all things work for good? In verse 29, it says that you will be conformed to the image of His Son. Sometimes, that is the only good that comes out of suffering. It begins to knock off the rough edges in your life (like a chisel on hard rock) that don't look like Jesus.
God knows how to use your spouse and your children as hammers and chisels, and He knows how to use the experiences in your life to knock off those edges that don't look like Christ. But that happens when we suffer. That refining process takes place when we go through hard times. Therefore, we have to be willing to endure the tough things in order for God to make us more like His Son.
1 Peter 1:11 talks about, “the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.” God's purpose in your life is to conform you to the image of His Son. And in order to do that, we have to endure suffering.
Thankfully, the story doesn’t end with our suffering. The Lord is able to take our hard times and use them for good, just like the familiar passage in Romans says: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters” (Romans 8:28-29).
All things work together for good. Not all things are good, let's face it, but God can work all things together for good. Do you know why all things work for good? In verse 29, it says that you will be conformed to the image of His Son. Sometimes, that is the only good that comes out of suffering. It begins to knock off the rough edges in your life (like a chisel on hard rock) that don't look like Jesus.
God knows how to use your spouse and your children as hammers and chisels, and He knows how to use the experiences in your life to knock off those edges that don't look like Christ. But that happens when we suffer. That refining process takes place when we go through hard times. Therefore, we have to be willing to endure the tough things in order for God to make us more like His Son.
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2 Comments
May God keep hammering and chiseling away at the rough spots in my life ðŸ™
I am a Work in progress. JESUS has chosen ME and I Praise God and THANK GOD for Everything ! He's Working !