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Pain is a gift—nobody wants to experience or go through pain, but if we place our hand in a fire or get into a situation that will hurt us, pain tells us to get out. When we have an insensitivity to pain, we’re placed in really compromising situations.

This week, we've been talking about how 1 Peter 4 tells us that “we suffer because Christ suffered.” It’s important that we suffer well, but what does that look like?

In our hangout Wednesday night, we talked about how we don’t see pain as a gift because it hurts so bad, making it hard to see this as a good thing, but it really keeps us from further harming ourselves. When we look at scripture, we see that it’s a gift that allows us to grow in Christ—becoming better in and for Him as we connect to others.

We should really settle into the saddle and suffer well because the suffering is going to lead us into the next intended place—purposeful pain. We should stand firm in our suffering and understand that it is even a part of God’s plan. Scripture tells us that we should not be surprised about suffering; if Christ suffered, we need to understand that we will too.

Pain is not meaningless nor absurd, but it still hurts. Nonetheless, understanding the gift of pain helps us change and grow for the better. Suffering is evidence that we are united with Christ, and we should continue rejoicing through the trial. 1 Peter 4:14 tells us that the Spirit of glory and God rests upon us when we suffer, so press on! Rest with the glory of God upon you amidst suffering.

What does suffering well mean to you? Let us know in the comments.