Yesterday I talked about my pride and living as a Prideaholic. Grace and pride cannot really coexist, and I also think another reality is, pride and peace don’t mix. I can recall my pride, and those challenges that come with pride I didn’t have peace. As I think of others, I know who wrestle with pride, peace seems to be absent. Just food for thought. 

Today in Romans 5, we have made it through the first core part of Romans, so the battle and court case are over (figuratively speaking), and Paul brought in Jesus the savior who offers abounding grace, peace, and hope. 

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.” - ‭‭Romans‬ ‭5:1-2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Remember, justified is to be made righteous in the sight of God...and this happens through faith as we see in 5:1, not works. We have peace with God through Jesus Christ, and we stand in grace. And Paul takes this moment to point to where our boasting should go; we boast in the glory of God! Nothing here to be puffed up and prideful about did nothing to earn it. 

So good, we have peace and hope, and it's all flowers and roses. Prosperity and all is right and good now that we have Jesus? Wrong! Paul turns a bit here in verse 3-5 and brings some clarity around walking with Jesus, the clarity I think we all need to absorb and soak in. 

“Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” - ‭‭Romans‬ ‭5:3-5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Glory in our sufferings! Not what we all like to hear or read, I am sure, but its life on earth as we know it. We will have trials and sufferings on this side of heaven. Paul isn’t just bringing empathy and sympathy for the Romans; he was making a much larger point. Suffering has a point, and it creates something in us if we let it. Indeed, this formula isn’t guaranteed, we can, and I have, allow suffering to produce bitterness and resent. But, with the appropriate mindset and focus on Jesus: suffering can produce perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.

A few days ago, I wrote about finding what you are looking for. I believe this to be true about suffering. When walking through it, we will find what we are looking for if we are living with an abundant mindset or a fixed mindset. 

I needed this reading today. Thank you, Lord. I genuinely desire to be thankful for my trials and sufferings; I know they have made me better and drawn me closer to Christ. As I step into this day, I am focused on bringing the right mindset to sufferings, and remembering there is glory in the midst of it all.