Finding Hope in Your Suffering

Suffering is a universal experience. Every person knows what it means to feel pain, loss, or disappointment. Yet, as followers of Jesus, we are called to approach our suffering from a different perspective, a perspective shaped by hope. The Apostle Paul helps us understand this deeply encouraging truth in Romans chapter 8, verses 18 through 25.

Paul writes, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” Paul is wrestling with one of the oldest philosophical and theological questions: the problem of evil and suffering. As he considers life's trials, pain, and devastation, he concludeswith several powerful truths for us to hold onto.

Suffering is Temporary
The first encouraging truth Paul emphasizes is that suffering is temporary. Whatever struggle you face today, Paul says it will not last forever. Again, verse 18 assures us, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”

Your pain may be very real. It might feel overwhelming, deep, and profound. You might wake up thinking about it and go to bed with it weighing on your heart. Yet, it remains temporary.

I remember a season many years ago when Julee and I were walking through some especially difficult times. One evening, in bed, overwhelmed and pouring out my heart to her, Julee gently interrupted me. She said something simple yet powerful: "This is a season. It will pass." Years later, I don’t even remember the specific problem we faced. Indeed, it was temporary.

You might say, “Pastor, you don't understand my suffering. I lost a child. I lost a spouse. We can't conceive.” And you'd be right; I don't fully understand your pain. Yet, even in such profound suffering, Paul gives us this encouragement: your suffering, too, is temporary.

Suffering is Not the Final Word
The second truth Paul shares is that suffering is not the final word. Notice again in verse 18, “the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” The pain of this life won’t even come to mind when we finally see and experience what God has promised us.

This means no matter how great our suffering seems right now, it isn't the end. Something infinitely greater awaits us. When that day comes, we will no longer carry the memory or sting of our current pain. It will fade in the brilliant light of God's glorious future.

You Are Not Alone
The third truth Paul highlights is profoundly comforting: you are not alone in your suffering. Paul explains in verses 19 through 22:
"For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now."

All around us, even creation suffers. Recent floods along the Guadalupe River and the Comal River have shown us vividly that nature itself experiences brokenness and devastation. The headlines tell us repeatedly about record floods, drought, wildfires, hurricanes, and tornadoes. This isn't new. Paul described it nearly 2,000 years ago: creation is broken and groaning.

Dr. Warren Wiersbe describes this clearly. He says, “When God finished His creation, it was good. But today it is a groaning creation. There is suffering and death. There is pain, all of which is, of course, the result of Adam's sin. It’s not the fault of creation.” Paul uses words like suffering, vanity, bondage, decay, and pain to describe the state of the world. But this groaning is not meaningless; it’s like a woman experiencing childbirth pains—painful but temporary, leading to new life.

You are not alone. Others suffer, and even creation itself shares in the pain.

Suffering Leads Us to Long for Heaven
The fourth truth about suffering is this: it leads us to long for heaven. Paul writes in verse 23:
"And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies."
The pain and struggle of this world cause us to long deeply for heaven. We eagerly anticipate Christ’s return and the day we finally experience the fullness of our adoption as children of God. Suffering reminds us that there has to be more, and that longing directs our hearts heavenward. We cry out, "Come, Lord Jesus," because we know something better awaits.

Wiersbe reminds us that the reason we groan is because we've already tasted a foretaste of the glory to come through the Spirit. Like the Israelites who tasted the fruit of the promised land before fully entering it, we’ve experienced a glimpse of heaven through the Spirit’s ministry. That taste makes us yearn deeply for heaven, a redeemed body, and an eternity with Christ.

A Different Perspective Called Hope
Can we sum up these powerful truths—our suffering is temporary, it's not the final word, we’re not alone, and it makes us long for heaven—in one word? Yes. That word is hope.
Paul expresses it clearly in verses 24 and 25:
"For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience."

Hope is the expectation and belief that something desired will happen. We believe Christ died, rose, ascended, and will return. We believe He will judge the living and the dead, destroy Satan and death, and reign forever with His redeemed. This confident expectation is our hope.

Paul emphasizes this again in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18:
"So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."

Why is theology important when we suffer? Because it anchors our hearts in eternal truth precisely when we need it most.

Today, whatever your pain, remember these truths. Your suffering is temporary. It isn’t the final word. You are not alone, and it causes your heart to yearn for heaven. Together, these truths give you something profound and powerful: hope.

Take heart. As a follower of Jesus, you have the privilege of a different perspective on suffering. And that perspective leads to glorious, life-giving hope.



This blog is based on the message shared by Senior Pastor Dr. Roger Patterson at our CityRise West U Baptist campus on Sunday, July 6, 2025. Check out the full message below!