“Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake…” – Colossians 1:24
Paul rejoices.
I am getting closer to thinking I maybe could rejoice.
The more I read the Bible, the more I see a connection between the Great Commission and suffering. Jesus didn’t call His followers to a comfortable life; He called them to take up their cross. The early church didn’t just endure suffering—they embraced it as a sign that they were walking in Christ’s footsteps.
But rejoicing? That feels like another level.
Paul doesn’t rejoice because suffering itself is good. He rejoices because his suffering is for the sake of others—because it is part of God’s work, part of the mission. His pain is not wasted. His chains, his scars, his hardships—somehow, in the mystery of God’s kingdom, they serve a greater purpose.
I am not sure I am there yet. But maybe I am getting closer.
Lord, help me to trust that even in suffering, You are at work. And one day, may I learn to rejoice.