“Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake.” – Colossians 1:24a 

Scripture reading: 1 Peter 3:8-13 & Colossians 1:24-27

Just as Christ came into the world to endure much pain and suffering for the sake of the Church, so, too, Paul has placed himself in this mold of the cross for the sake of Christ’s body, that is, the church. One of the questions that this model raises for us is whether God might be using our own suffering in a similar way.

Sometimes trials come our way and we wonder, “Why am I going through this?” “How can God possibly be working this thing for my good?” Those aren’t always bad questions to ask. After all, Paul assures us in Romans 5 that “Suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame.”

But rather than asking, “How can God possibly be working this for my good?” Perhaps we should be asking, “How might God be using my suffering for the good of someone else?” That’s likely a more searching question. But it’s a good question, because it causes us to look away from ourselves, and it produces within us a sense of self-forgetfulness for the sake of others who might be going through something similar.

Suggestions for prayer

1 Peter 2:21 tells us that Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example that we might follow in His steps. Pray for grace to follow in His steps willingly when sufferings and trials come your way.

Rev. Bryce De Zwarte is a native of Pella, Iowa and a graduate of Dordt University and Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Rev. De Zwarte has been serving as the pastor of the Adoration URC in Vineland, Ontario since April of 2020. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com.