In Suffering – Stand in the Glory

Jon Stallings • April 6, 2020 • 0 Comments

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed in us. – Romans 8:18 (CSB)

We all experience struggles of life. Some of these rise to the level of being catastrophic. At times life just seems too hard. At the time of writing this our world is gripped by Coronavirus / Covid19 pandemic. With over 1 million infections, and over 69K deaths worldwide (Over 260K recoveries) (https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/). Unnumbered are the countless others that are gripped by the throes of fear and anxiety and those impacted by the economic consequences such as job loss. Here in the U.S. most of us are under shelter in place orders.

As Christians, How Should we Respond?

Many have turned to God and to the Bible looking for answers. Did God cause this? Is this God’s judgement? Is this the end of times? Turning to God is always a good thing; however, answers to our questions are not always there.

We have to learn to trust God in the unknowing.

Now in this hope were saved, but hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees? Now if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with patience. – Romans 8:24-25 (CSB)

We have a choice to make. We can let our current circumstances dictate how we live or we let the Word of God give us direction. No we don’t stick our head in the sand. We still use wisdom (stay home and wash your hands). Make the choice to trust in God in all things. We serve a God who still heals. He is a God who still gives comfort. Let us stand with confidence, no matter what we might have to endure.

The Glory going to be Revealed in Us

Now this portion of Romans 8:18 speaks to the glory that is yet to come at Jesus’ return. It also speak to us that as we grow in Christ we become a witness, a voice, of that glory to come. We have the opportunity serve and encourage others.

Be a voice of hope in the middle of the madness.

The Glory to Come

They day will come when we will be raised to glory with Christ. Our new bodies will not be plagued by death and disease. Per Paul our current issues pale in comparison to this glory. In this glory we hope; in this gory we find strength.

I am blessed. I get to work from home and my family is healthy. But my heart breaks for those who have been impacted terribly by this disease. If that happens to be you, I pray you are covered by the grace and peace of God. May the Holy Spirit overshadow you and cause you to stand strong. Don’t give into the fear. Stay close to God’s word and stay connected as best you can to others. Satan wants nothing more than for you to be isolated. We are called to live in community.

About the Author: Jon Stallings

I am enthusiastic about helping others discover their purpose and grow into a deeper relationship with Jesus. It is great to see their eyes light up at their “Ah Ha!” moment when they discover they were created for something more. My hope is that this blog will help encourage and inspire you along your way. Join the conversation and take the time to share with me your own story. I have been married to my beautiful wife Janice for over 30 years. We currently live in McDonough Georgia with our daughter. Our two boys have left the nest and we have two wonderful grand kids. Of course we cannot forget about our dog Bear.