Are there any benefits to suffering in this life? We know we are to look toward eternity and trust in our future glory, but are we just to sit around then and wait for that eternity? No. Although Paul longed to be with God, he knew that it was good that he stayed to encourage those he was with and wrote to.


Though we have hardships, God will never waste them. He will use them for our good, producing in us further peace and character that will in turn encourage others and maybe even lead others to Christ. He even gives us the Holy Spirit to live in us, to allow us to love others and love Him. Isn’t it mind-blowing that God lives inside of us and is always renewing us through our learning and circumstances?


How utterly disappointing if our sufferings had no meaning! God promises that He sees our sufferings, records them, weeps for them, uses them for our good and His glory, and has overcome them for our salvation. Every moment – heartbreaking ones included – in our lives has every meaning in the world.