It's certainly not easy to rejoice in our sufferings. In fact, for so many people I know I can't imagine how they rejoice now or how they will ever rejoice. There are so many heartbreaking stories full of loss, fear, and failure. I cannot identify with their sorrows and their deep seeded anger at God, my stories have been entirely different and unique to me. But, when I read this verse and really take it in, I understand a little bit more about hope. I understand that everyone suffers; it's a part of life. How we take the suffering, whether we feel like we can bare it or not, and see it in our lives is the key. They key to finding hope within you.
Here's what I see:
When we rejoice in our suffering, it makes us persevere
(We still rejoice and find blessings in the hardest times, because we still have a life and a purpose and that is what makes us move forward)
When we persevere, it builds our character
(When we keep moving forward with a purpose, we grow and become a more fulfilled person)
When we build our character, it gives us hope.
(When we grow and become more fulfilled, we have hope for our life)
And hope does not disappoint us because we see God's love.
(When we believe and trust in hope, God's love appears in our hearts, despite our sufferings)
I wish I had all of the answers on why bad things happen and how we are supposed to move forward. I do know that how we move forward with our hurts and heartaches will define our lives, and perhaps put a purpose into the pain we are feeling. But, we have to find the strength to rejoice and persevere inside of ourselves. When I think of trying to find our own strength, I think of two things. First, we can ask God to give us the strength to move forward and put peace into our hearts, so that we can have moments of clarity. Second, when something is too much to bear, ask God to please take it. Even if for a few moments. I have had some not-so-nice events happen as of recently, and when my mind is jumbled with so many negative thoughts and emotions, I tell God that right now these feelings are too much for me to bear... and oftentimes I realize much later that it was out of my mind. He will take it away for a while. You have to ask, you have to trust, and you have to have hope that things can and will get better, in some way and form.
Hope is an amazing thing when we put it in front of all of our fears and our sadness. Even if it's just a sliver of hope that things can and will be better eventually. That particular hope, that things will not be this way forever, is what kept me moving forward last year and still keeps me moving forward when I feel unsettled about where my life is at. I know that God's plans for me are more than a state of sadness, unrest, and suffering.
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