An Invitation to Suffering

Since Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same understanding. —1 Peter 4:1

I’ve had the privilege of visiting the White House through a private tour on several occasions. Had it not been for special invitations, those gates would have remained closed to me.

But I’ve received many invitations to a more coveted place. They’ve come in unexpected forms, like anxiety, depression, cancer. Sometimes they’ve arrived with less pomp and circumstance—a wounded relationship, a stressful job, a deep disappointment.

Though unwelcome, these sufferings have ushered me into privileged places, deeper into the marvelous expanses of God. Without them, I would have remained a tourist of sorts, admiring God’s glories from a distance but never truly experiencing them.

Obviously, suffering in and of itself isn’t redemptive or desirable. But I’ve often sensed the Spirit whispering to me in my pain, “Come in further. There’s more beauty in Me than you can possibly imagine.”

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“You Are Invited . . . by Suffering” (Colleen Chao, ReviveOurHearts.com/blog)

Scripture taken from The CSB