Not for Our Comfort

<p>Dan was riding his motorcycle when a car swerved into his lane and pushed him into oncoming traffic. When he woke up two weeks later in the trauma center, he was &ldquo;a mess.&rdquo; Worst of all, he suffered a spinal cord injury that left him a paraplegic. Dan prayed for healing, but it never came. Instead, he believes God has compassionately taught him that &ldquo;the purpose of this life is that we become conformed to the image of Christ. Unfortunately, that doesn&rsquo;t happen when everything is unicorns and rainbows. It . . . happens when life is tough. When we&rsquo;re forced to rely upon God through prayer just to make it through the day.&rdquo;</p> <p>The apostle Paul explained two benefits of right standing with God: persevering and rejoicing in suffering (Romans 5:3&ndash;4). These two benefits weren&rsquo;t a call to endure sufferings with stoic fortitude or to find pleasure in pain. It was an invitation to unshakeable confidence in God. Suffering plus Christ cultivates &ldquo;perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope&rdquo; (vv. 3&ndash;4). This all flows from a faith that the Father wouldn&rsquo;t abandon them but walk with them through the fire and into the future.</p> <p>God meets us in our suffering and helps us grow in Him. Rather than viewing afflictions as His disfavor, may we look for ways that He&rsquo;s using them to sharpen and build our character and to experience His love &ldquo;poured out into our hearts&rdquo; (v. 5).</p>