Have you ever boasted about your sufferings? Seems absurd, doesn’t it? Yet, that is exactly what we should be doing. Paul suffered so much in his walk with God. Among other things, he was beaten, stoned and shipwrecked. He was constantly in danger from strangers and from his own countrymen. In all this, he chose to boast about his sufferings. He refused to boast in any of his good fortune, only in his suffering.
If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness (2 Corinthians 11:30 NIV).
When things are going smoothly in our lives, we have no problem boasting about our success. But when we face any kind of suffering, we complain about it. What we need to realize is that the Enemy hates it when we live our lives for God. So, he brings suffering to us, to try and make us complain about it. When we complain, we make Satan stronger; we make him smile. Yet, when we boast about those same sufferings, we wound Satan. No smile there!
We need to see suffering as a blessing. If we suffer, it means Satan sees us as a threat. Therefore if we are suffering, we must be doing something right. So, let’s take Paul’s lead and start boasting about our sufferings. Let’s Beat, Stone and Shipwreck Satan!
Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen (1 Peter 5:8–11 NASB).
Debbie Mitchell