Suffering has a power—an anointing—that our comfort-driven culture has forgotten. We’ve been seduced by the pursuit of ease, lulled into believing that peace comes through prosperity and security. But the Christian life was never meant to be a path of convenience. No, it’s a journey of faith that walks straight through the fire of the cross. And it’s in the fire—when life hurts the most—that God forges something beautiful, something eternal.
If the church is going to be the church, it has to reflect the heart of Christ, and that heart beats with sacrifice. When we suffer for His name, we declare to the world that we belong to another kingdom. We’re not here to chase the same priorities as the culture around us. We serve a King who didn’t conquer with a sword but with submission. He took the nails, bore the wounds, and showed that the power of God is made perfect in weakness.
Listen to me—your pain is not a punishment. Your trials are not a sign of God’s absence. They are the invitation of heaven, calling you deeper into the presence of the Almighty. It’s in the hard places where you discover the power of the Holy Spirit. It’s in the storm that you learn to lean not on your own understanding, but on the unshakable foundation of God’s Word. Suffering strips us of our pride, purifies our motives, and positions us for revival.
Let me tell you something about the church under pressure: it doesn’t crumble—it grows! When the body of Christ shares in suffering, it binds us together. When one believer is persecuted, the whole church feels it. That shared pain builds a bond, a strength, a unity that no devil in hell can break. And out of that unity, God births a renewed sense of mission. We stop trying to fit in with the world, and we start standing out as the people of God.
Revival is not just an emotional moment or a packed auditorium. Revival happens when the church is purified, when we’re stripped of our idols and made ready for God’s glory. And let me tell you, that kind of revival often comes through suffering. It’s in the fiery trials that the Spirit fans the flame, awakening us to the reality of His power and purpose.
As of August 2024, Christians made up less than 1.5 percent of the entire Palestinian population and yet Bethlehem Bible College still listed 200 ministry students in training. At the same time 45 miles away the Holy Family Church in Gaza City has become a sanctuary for approximately 500 Christians. Despite the extreme adversities, over the past year the Palestinian Christian community has remained steadfast in its faith, finding solace in daily prayers and support from global Christian leaders. Their unwavering commitment to Christ, even in the face of immense suffering, exemplifies the profound strength and unity that can emerge from enduring hardship.
Look at the underground church in China. For decades, they’ve faced persecution—imprisonment, harassment, and even death. But have they given up? No! They’ve grown stronger, more united, more on fire for Jesus. They meet in secret, risking everything just to pray and worship together. Their suffering has purified their faith and ignited a revival that no government, no prison, and no power of darkness can extinguish.
We have got to stop running from the fire and start seeing it for what it is: the refining work of God. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die.” It’s in that death to ourselves—our comfort, our pride, our plans—that we find life, real life, in Him. So don’t despise the struggle. Don’t curse the pain. Let it push you closer to God. Let it unite us as His people. And let it spark a fire of revival that will burn across the nations. Because through your suffering, through your sacrifice, God is building His kingdom!
*From chapter 8 of: 1 Peter- Ever Ready: Always Faithful
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