Quotes about Suffering

Love is strengthened and perfected by suffering. Couples who have had only ease lack depth. True love needs to suffer. "The course of true love never did run smooth." Kindness—mere kindness—cannot tolerate suffering. Love can.

The transformation of Christ's bodily scars into badges of glory shows us what happens, even in this life, to our souls when we lovingly and trustingly offer our sufferings to Christ and unite them to His. He turns "deformity" into "dignity".

Furthermore, the most popular modern answer to the question of what it means to be a good person is to be kind. Do not make other people suffer. If it doesn't hurt anyone, it's O.K. By this standard, God is not good it he lets us suffer. But by ancient standards, God might be good even though he lets us suffer, if he does it for the sake of the greater end of happiness, perfection of life and character and soul, that is, self.

Expect the world to be Heaven, and it will feel like Hell. Expect it to be Purgatory, and it will feel like Heaven. The two most salient facts about Purgatory are pain and hope, suffering and meaning.

No happiness on earth can be deeper than the happiness that comes from our willing and active submission to God's will even when he wills suffering.

Suffering together builds togetherness, and if togetherness is more important for us and for our joy than freedom from suffering is, then God is good to allow this suffering.

There is nothing worse… no punishment greater than to have known God and no longer to know him.

In this fallen world, Christians are not called to a life where all choices lead to comfort or safety. We are called to a life of commitment to the One who loves us enough to die for us. The Bible often tells us this commitment will mean trouble and pain.

There is a sermon in the fact that the gates are pearl. [Because] heaven is entered through suffering and travail, through redemption and blood, through the agony of the cross. A pearl is a jewel made by a little animal that is wounded. Without the wound, the pearl is never formed.

Should it be ours to drain the cup of grieving, even to the dregs of pain, at thy command, we will not falter, thankfully receiving all that is given by thy loving hand. While all the powers of Good aid and attend us, boldly we'll face the future, be what it may. At even, and at morn, God will befriend us, and oh, most surely on each new year's day!

God, I love You for making me suffer like this. It is Your will. You know the best for me. And I just praise You for loving me enough to allow me to experience this. In all things, including this, I give thanks.

Quite often the Lord uses the adversity in our lives as a lens through which He can be seen! In the process of it all, He is developing our character so that we can be worthy reflectors of His glory. Paul teaches us that character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experiences of trials and suffering can the soul be strengthened.