The point of this book is to help those who want to come closer to Christ become comfortable with the realization that obeying every gospel tenet, including suffering, is a necessary part of the journey to find and live in the Lord’s eternal kingdom.

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“Suffering for joy” is a phrase that would seem contradictory in normal conversation. Its use was intentional because I didn’t want to confuse suffering in our Christian walk, the outcome of which should be joy, with the suffering we experience through worldly woes.

Suffering in order to find the joy we experience in a relationship with the Lord is not a concept that every churchgoer is familiar with. The subject doesn’t command the same attention that love, grace, and salvation does, even though it is an important concept addressed in the Bible.

Admittedly, suffering has a negative connotation. It is difficult to understand due to its abstract nature as well. We can relate to the physical aspects of it because we see the trappings associated with the attempts to relieve it and are aware of its potential to enter our lives. Physical pain also has a certain credibility because it is deemed as temporarily unavoidable, considered accidental, or even natural, whereas suffering to be more like Christ is our choice.

Jesus didn’t die a horrible death without reason. He could have just commanded us to adhere to His teachings and ascended into heaven. But the Father knew that scenario wouldn’t correct our sinful nature and therefore further His will for us to achieve a changed heart. Jesus endured both mental and physical suffering, so He could share in what we struggle with and be justified in His insistence that we suffer for Him.

Just as Jesus experienced death but defeated it, we also have to experience a death that leads to victory: we must die to our will. We should also eliminate sin in our lives and pursue righteousness—behaviors not befitting a Christian are to be replaced with those that are.

The fact that we have a living God who loves us enough to guide us through the transition from being focused on our will to focusing on the joy-filled abundant life He has for us is what separates a relationship from a religion. But unfortunately, our will must suffer from the anguish created by its loss of control and the threat of death to complete that transition.

Salvation is a process, and suffering is involved in that process and therefore a tenet of the gospel. I wanted to include it in this writing because its importance is not emphasized from the pulpit.

The point of this book is to help those who want to come closer to Christ become comfortable with the realization that obeying every gospel tenet, including suffering, is a necessary part of the journey to find and live in the Lord’s eternal kingdom.

Book launch: Winter of 2024