May 9 - 2 Corinthians 1:5

Just as the sufferings of Christ

are abundant for us,

so also our consolation

is abundant through Christ.

2 Corinthians 1:5

“The sufferings of Christ are abundant for us!!!” Do you have that on a bumper sticker on your car?!

No?!

If we’re honest, most of us would prefer to ignore the reality of suffering. To escape it.

Yes, we good Christians are thankful for the cross. We know that without it we can’t be forgiven. Without it, we can’t live. But mostly we’d prefer a sanitized version. We prefer a nice gold cross with clean edges and a nice sheen. We’d never hang a bloody mess around our neck as a decoration.

But suffering is the way of this world. Sin brings suffering. Our sin. It results in grief and brokenness and pain. And if you aren’t experiencing it now … you will. There will be illness, injustice, death, grief, and despair in all our lives.

But here’s the truth … We can ignore suffering. Wish it away. And pretend it doesn’t exist – at least when the days are good. Or we can align ourselves with Christ’s sufferings. Because if we don’t embrace Christ’s sufferings, we won’t discover Christ’s consolations.

Sin brought and brings pain into this world. But rather than washing his hands of it, God came down and submitted to our conditions – the ones we made.

That’s our consolation. We have a God who walks with us … even through the pain.

And as an added benefit, those of us who cling to the sufferings of his Son, get an additional bonus – a lifetime of consolations in heaven.

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who’s thankful

for suffering

(doesn’t that sound weird?)