Mark B. Thogmartin - March 30, 2014
Finding Joy Through Suffering
All humans, in varying degrees, experience weakness, pain, and suffering. Paul, who personally experienced a tremendous amount of abuse, discomfort, and peril surprises us by saying "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal." We can either resist suffering and try to escape it (usually unsuccessfully), or we can embrace it with the understanding that weakness, pain and suffering are for God’s supreme glory, for our highest good, and ultimately will result in our eternal joy and bliss.