Suffering is part of the human experience. There is no spiritual level that exempts us from grief, disappointment, anxiety, betrayal, or loss. Jesus Himself said, “In this world you will have trouble.” 

But while pain is inevitable, how we respond to it determines who we become.

In this teaching from our Practicing the Way series, we look at how suffering impacts our apprenticeship to Jesus. We explore common ways we cope with pain—denying it, detaching from it, or numbing it—and why those paths ultimately harden our hearts instead of healing them. 

Instead, we look to Jesus in Gethsemane. He did not deny His sorrow. He named it. He brought it to the Father. He met God in His pain. 

The invitation of Jesus is not to escape suffering—but to bring it into the presence of God. When we do, the very pain that could deform us can instead transform us. As we surrender our wounds to Him, suffering can produce perseverance, character, and hope. 

You are being formed.

Your suffering will shape you.

The question is:

Is your pain forming you into a person of love—or away from being one? 

If you are walking through a hard season right now, this message is for you. God will not waste your suffering—not because pain is good, but because He is. 

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