“And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.”Romans 8:17-18 NLT
Why does God allow you and me to suffer if we are “co-heirs” with Christ? Doesn’t that mean we are supposed to get all the good stuff? Well, yes. But for Jesus, the good stuff came on the other side of a lot of bad stuff. The good stuff came on the other side of suffering.My favorite definition of suffering comes from a message I heard on a cassette tape in the mid-1990s. Author Elisabeth Elliott defined suffering very simply: Having what you don’t want or wanting what you don’t have. Her point was that suffering affects every one of us in one way or another and in varying degrees. None of us are immune to suffering.
Romans 8:17-18 makes it clear that suffering and glory are connected.
“And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.” Romans 8:17-18 NLT
The good stuff is only on the other side of the bad stuff. As co-heirs with Christ we inherit His suffering on the way to glory. But the best stuff is this: What we suffer is not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed. It’s going to be worth it all. This is our hope. And that is the hope I want to inform my day-to-day perspective.
What about you, my friend? What would it look like for you to live with the hope that everything you have gone through and are going through is going to be worth it all? I think it looks like Puddleglum.
Live like a Narnian. I love books and a good deal on good books is hard to pass up. Several years ago, I bought Kindle versions of all seven books in the Chronicles of Narnia series for $1.99 each. It has been money well spent! Each fantasy story by C.S. Lewis tackles different aspects of faith. The most famous story is The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. I most recently finished The Silver Chair. To me, it’s a story about how what we believe affects our actions and identity.
Eustace Scrubb and Jill Pole, two young boarding school outcasts, are called into the land of Narnia by the lion, Aslan, the supreme King. He tasks them with finding the lost Prince Rilian, future king of Narnia. Puddleglum, the Marsh-wiggle becomes their guide. As his name suggests, Puddleglum has a “glass-half-empty” outlook. But he shows the strength of his faith in a scene that challenges me.
They confront the evil Lady of the Green Kirtle who has captured Rilian in her dark underground kingdom by confusing and controlling his perception of reality. He has forgotten his identity and his destiny to become king of Narnia. The Lady almost successfully captures the rescuers in the same way. Through magic that strengthens her control of their minds, she questions the reality of all they know of the world above – the sun, Narnia, Aslan. She tells them her world is the only real world and Narnia is in their imaginations.
Puddleglum fights these thoughts while the others begin to weaken, and finally declares that even if Narnia is not real, it is better than her world and he will live like a Narnian. He chooses to believe when everything he experiences contradicts that truth. He chooses to believe that everything he has suffered and is suffering will be worth it because of the reality that he can’t see.
The enemy of your soul and mine comes against the truth of the Gospel in so many ways. He aims to make us question the reality of all we say we believe. In those moments, I find myself declaring with Puddleglum, “I will live like a Narnian!” Even if everything I put my hope in turns out to be imaginary, it is better than our daily reality. I choose Christ. I choose to believe that it will all be worth it.
Dear Friend, choose to believe your suffering is your pathway to glory. Whatever you are going through will be worth your effort, no matter how difficult. Your suffering is not worthy to be compared with the glory that God will reveal through you and to you. That is your hope in the darkness of your current reality.
God reveals His glory on earth through your character transformed to reflect Jesus. When He is lifted up through you, He will draw people to Himself. His glory through you makes you a magnet for Him to attract others to Christ. Isn’t that worth it now? And the future glory of being in His presence continually — won’t that make now worth it?
Live like a Narnian, my friend. It is going to be worth it.
Key Question: How does God want to use my challenge to reveal His glory?
A Scripture to Consider: “And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.”Romans 8:17-18 NLT
A YES Challenge: What would it look like for you to “live like a Narnian” in your current challenge?
Prayer: Father, there are times when I am just not sure how to get through what I’m going through. Help me to remember that it’s going to be worth it. Help me to remember that You want to reveal Your glory to me and through me. Help me choose to believe even when life is at its darkest. I choose You. Amen.
