“For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him.”
Philippians 1:29 (NLT)
Paul isn’t calling us to pursue suffering, but to see purpose in it. Suffering is like refining a diamond. A raw diamond doesn’t look like much, but under pressure, heat, and cutting, its beauty is revealed. In the same way, pain isn’t the point—transformation is.
God doesn’t waste suffering. He uses it to purify your faith, shape your character, and set your heart on eternity. To those outside of Christ, it may look like loss. But to those in Christ, it feels like exchange. Just like the old song: “I’m trading my sorrows, I’m trading my shame… I’m laying them down for the joy of the Lord.”
We don’t cling to suffering—we lay it down and exchange it for joy, peace, and eternal reward. Being “under pressure” doesn’t mean you have to be “under despair.” The Bible is full of believers who rejoiced in trials, not because they liked pain, but because they knew what it was producing.
“Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning” (Psalm 30:5, NLT).
What a privilege it is to trust in Jesus Christ! Allow God to turn your sorrow into joy today.