May 18, 2022

Romans 8:18; NASB
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

I have played musical instruments for most of my life. Yes, I was a band “geek” in Junior High School. After that, I switched over to drums. I also learned some piano here and there.

Finally I switched to playing guitar. Guitar is fun and great and cool. But learning guitar for the first time is difficult and painful.

For one, you are probably going to learn on a guitar that is not that expensive. In my case, this was true. An acoustic guitar with steel strings. The problem is, the strings were quite far off of the neck of the guitar. Which meant you had to push harder to get the strings down.

Now, so you know, if you have never played guitar, or haven’t played in awhile, as you push your fingers down onto these steel strings….it hurts. It’s painful. It takes some time for your fingertips to adapt and build calluses. Until then you go to practice guitar but can only play for so long because of the pain in your fingers, all the while thinking, “Is this really worth it?”

Life has a lot of joys and celebrations. Great friendships, accomplishing tasks or big goals, overcoming obstacles that used to stop you. 

But life can also be full of struggles, pains, hardships, hurts, sufferings. All of us at some point have been through the highs and lows of life.

And there have probably been times when your last leg is long gone, you're not sure how much more you can take, and you begin to think to yourself, “Is this really worth it?”

Yes it is.

Romans 8, Paul starts out by reminding us of this great truth: there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. Then a few verses later he declares, “The Holy Spirit testifies to our spirit that we are children of God.”

Se free. No condemnation. Children of God. That’s a pretty good list.

But that doesn’t mean our lives will be without trouble or hardship or oppression or struggles. Just like every person, we will face trials. And in those trials we might be tempted to give up, to wonder if it is really worth it.

And Paul reminds us that these present sufferings aren’t worth comparing to the glory of God that awaits us. In his second letter to the Corinthian church, Paul reminds them of much the same thing: For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. (2 Corinthians 4:17; ESV).

All to say this: don’t give up, don’t give in. The struggles you are going through right now are real. And I’m sorry for them. I wish I could take them away.

But at the same time, the struggles you are going through today are preparing you for the incredible riches of God’s grace and glory.

Keep fighting. Keep pushing. Keep your eyes on the real prize. And keep trusting God as He leads you through it.

-Pastor Brian