What does God tell us about suffering and hardship? People who trust God are not exempt from difficult life circumstances. But we also know, we have the Ultimate Support at our disposal during hardship: God’s Grace. Being a Giver of Care as well as a Receiver of Care can often be a hardship. A struggle that can involve great suffering. It’s one of life’s biggest challenges. But we have hope. Thank God for that!
Did you know that suffering and glory are often linked in the New Testament? Some of my favorite passages on this topic:
• 1 Peter 5:10 – After you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
• Romans 8:18 – I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
• 1 Peter 2:21 – For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you.
Our Lord promises to help us through our suffering. If the loved one you are caring for is a believer, then sharing these passages during your visit may provide relief for their suffering.
In our family, we use the Moments module of the Genus™ App to provide some pictures of favorite bible versus to share with our mom when we visit. By doing a Google search for bible verses that give hope, then click on the Images tab, and you will find loads of them. I took a picture of bible verse with my phone, and added it to the Moments module. Mom loves it when we share these verses of hope, and it’s all at our finger tips using Genus™. Not only does she appreciate the messages, they truly serve to lift her mood and spirit, which is what we are doing this for in the first place: providing the best emotional, physical and spiritual support for our loved ones.
Remember that there is pain and suffering in life, especially in a caregiving situation. But with God’s help, we can not only endure, but we can overcome, and find the glory in the midst of the chaos. That, my friends, is the purpose of our suffering. We can use God’s grace to not only endure our troubles, but to shine through them, in His light, showing others that God does provide love, hope, and encouragement in our darkest times.
