“Suffering Is Temporary, Strength Is Eternal”

1 Peter 5:10 – "And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast."

Suffering is expected. It is not easy, fun, or comfortable, but it is necessary. The God of all grace allows trials, and we are in a battle with an enemy who wants our suffering to break us, make us fearful, and convince us that it will last forever.

But it only lasts for a “little while.” God will not let us endure more than we can bear. Suffering is meant to make us strong, spiritually resilient, and steadfast. He will not abandon us; He will fortify us.

This world needs followers of Jesus who are strong and steadfast, forged in the fire of trials and restored to greater strength, ready to love others fully and worship God with unwavering devotion.

Ask yourself: do you see that suffering is temporary and that on the other side lies strength and restoration? Like a marathon runner, stopping a mile from the finish line means missing the reward, the celebration, the refreshment, and the endurance gained for the next race.

For those who are suffering, let God work in you. Set your face like flint, forgive, love, and move forward. God will transform you into someone who not only endures suffering but emerges stronger, steadfast, and able to face future storms with courage and joy.

Even Jesus experienced the weight of suffering and separation. On the cross, as He breathed His last and was momentarily forsaken by the Father because of our sin, it seemed as though suffering would be eternal for Him and for us. Yet it was only a “little while.” In three days, He rose, achieving the greatest victory of all, defeating sin and death, securing eternal hope for all who believe in Him, and giving us strength to make it through anything.

When we give up hope, become bitter, or respond to suffering in ungodly ways through manipulation, control, or despair, we are like a fighter who taps out just seconds before the bell, not realizing that victory could be ours in the very next round.

As C. S. Lewis warns in The Screwtape Letters:
"Whatever he says, let his inner resolution be not to bear whatever comes to him, but to bear it ‘for a reasonable period’ and let the reasonable period be shorter than the trial is likely to last. It need not be much shorter; in attacks on patience, chastity, and fortitude, the fun is to make the man yield just when, had he but known it, relief was almost in sight."