Le bien vient de la souffrance

mars 4th, 2026

Romans 5:1-8.

Christians are not exempt from struggles. Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). So how, then, should believers react to the experiences of life that are dark and difficult? Paul says we are to rejoice, even in suffering!

I think I know what suffering looks like. My dad agonized with diabetes and kidney disease. Since we had already lost our mom, there was no one at our house to prepare his necessary diet. My aunt invited him into her home, where he stayed for several weeks. There, she provided the meals that Daddy needed. There was only one child in that home, a teenage daughter. Though she was unchurched, she carefully observed my dad’s life as he stayed with them. She had been told that he was a “Christian.”

A few weeks later, at the age of 54, Daddy died. I’ll never forget standing by his flag-draped casket with my 16-year-old cousin when she said to me, “If a Christian is what he was, that’s what I want to be!” Even through his suffering, my dad was still influencing someone for Jesus.

Author: Danny Goddard