By Ruth Sneha Stephen.
Suffering without hope or reason can be dreadful. Even when I thought my suffering was due to my previous misdeeds or my inescapable fate, I felt trapped and helpless. There was no way out and nothing to look forward to, except an end to the pain.
Then I came to Jesus; I expected my burden to become light and my yoke to become easy. But I also knew about the sufferings that the apostles and even missionaries had willingly accepted. How was their burden light??
Jesus teaches about this strange type of suffering. He went through terrible suffering Himself. And now He asks us to turn our lives upside down. To walk completely contrary to this world we're in. He does say that this will cause suffering. But He promises us the Holy Spirit - who will strengthen us and transform us through our suffering.
This strange suffering has a sweet side because I can now experience a life of freedom and fulfilment. It is an inevitable suffering, but a suffering to be embraced. Difficult, but a joyful one as well. A suffering that costs us our life, but one that gives us a new life in return.
Lovely article