2025.10.05 | Learning to Embrace Suffering

I’ll be honest…  suffering isn’t something I’ve ever wanted to embrace. When life gets hard, my first instinct is usually to ask why or to pray for it to be over. I’ve often asked God for an easier life… fewer disappointments, fewer moments of waiting, fewer times when I didn’t understand what He was doing.

But this Sunday, as Pastor Jeff preached about the keys to the Kingdom, something shifted in me. He said,

That line stayed with me, not because it was easy to hear, but it was exactly what I needed to hear.

I’ve always thought that following Jesus would lead to peace and blessing (and it does!), but I often forget that it also leads us into the same kind of suffering He endured. The kind that purifies, humbles, and draws us closer to His heart.

Pastor Jeff reminded us that Jesus never asks us to do anything He hasn’t done first. He suffered rejection, pain, and the weight of the cross… not for Himself, but for us. And when we suffer for His sake, we get to share in that story.

That verse has become a lifeline for me. It reminds me that suffering isn’t the end… it’s the space where grace begins.

As I looked around during worship, I realized I wasn’t the only one learning to trust God through pain. Our Hope family is full of stories being restored,  people choosing to worship through loss, uncertainty, or waiting. Somehow, that makes the burden lighter.

I don’t know what this week holds, but I’m choosing to hold on to the keys of faith…  even when they come with a little suffering. Because if suffering helps me walk in Jesus’ steps, maybe it’s also where I’ll see Him most clearly.