7 Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort. ~ 2 Corinthians 1:7
God did not promise us Christians a rose garden with continued sunshine, no rain, and no thorns. But Jesus plainly told us that in this life, we will have tribulation. There is no fine print that you need to scrutinize with a magnifying glass or have your lawyer read over. Jesus told us plain and straight that if we wanted to follow Him, we would have to pick up our cross daily and follow Him. It should not come as a surprise when we experience hardships for the kingdom of God. It’s not a one-time thing where we can hurry and get it over and done with and then breathe a sigh of relief, “Glad that’s over. Now clear skies and smooth sailing from here on out.”
On the contrary, if we want to share in the comfort, we must also be willing to share in the suffering. Christians cannot shrink back from persecution or from suffering. I believe the greater the suffering, the greater the reward. Now that is not to say that only those who suffer for the kingdom will receive a reward. Not at all, but what I am saying is that we must all be willing to share in the suffering and not shrink back or fully avoid it. Because Jesus is coming back soon, and the Bible says that His rewards are with Him.
Paul also was fully convinced that if Christians, not just the Corinthian Church, but if all Christians share in the suffering of Christ, they will also share in the comforts of Christ. He told them plain and straight that he did not want them unaware of the affliction that he and his companions experienced in Asia. He was not complaining; he was encouraging them that nothing they would experience here on this earth would be able to compare to the glories we would share with Jesus if we only held on to the very end and did not give.
So, I encourage you today, if you are going through a rough time or if you are being persecuted, however slight, just because you are a Christian, hold on; something better is on its way. Jesus is coming to get us to give us an inheritance that no eye has not seen, neither has ear heard nor has it entered into the imagination of man what He has in store for us.
So, let’s encourage each other as we hold on and wait for the redemption of our LORD Jesus. And remember, our faith and our suffering are not one-sided. We will be rewarded for what we have done and what we have gone through for the sake of the kingdom of God.
Heavenly Father, thank You that You do not forget what we have done, and neither do You withhold blessings from us. But You give to each one as he or she deserves and has earned. Thank You that sufferings and comforts are not one-sided but that You repay each one exactly what they have earned. Thank you, Father. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.
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