The Lodestar

Life often presents us with challenges and adversities that are difficult to bear. In those moments, our instinct is to focus intensely on the present pain, disappointment, or injustice. Human nature clings to the immediate — we feel the sting of betrayal, the ache of loss, the frustration of failure, and the weight of unfulfilled hopes. Left unchecked, these burdens can shape our perspective, causing us to carry the negative impact of a single moment for the rest of our lives.

Yet, the Bible consistently calls us to something higher — to lift our eyes from the temporary and look toward the eternal. Scripture advises us to have a long-range view of unpleasant things that happen to us. It reminds us that suffering is not the final word and that God, in His wisdom, uses even our hardships for a greater purpose.

The first recipients of the Epistle to the Hebrews understood suffering in ways many of us may never experience. They had gone through a lot in their lives for the sake of Christ. Besides physical and oral abuse, some served prison terms and had their property confiscated, and the suffering was endless (Heb 10:34; 13:3). Their commitment to their faith had tangible, painful consequences.

Yet rather than offering them mere sympathy, the writer of Hebrews encourages them to be prepared for even more — to endure deeper trials with unwavering faith. He solemnly reminds them: “In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood” (Heb 12:4). This was a call not to despair but to perspective, a nudge to realize that while their suffering was severe, their battle was not yet over, nor was it without purpose.

What is remarkable about the early Christians is not just their endurance but their attitude. They took suffering for Christ as a matter of pride. They understood something we often forget suffering could either break them or shape them. But to see their trials rightly, they had to change their perspective and take adversities as discipline, not punishment, as the discipline of the loving Father in heaven.

This shift from viewing hardships as divine punishment to embracing them as fatherly discipline transforms how we endure life’s difficulties. The short-range view of suffering is painful and intensive, but the long-range view is pleasant and makes us grateful to God. Every act of discipline has a positive outcome if endured with patience and faith in God’s love. It is fruitful since, through suffering, we learn many things we would not have learned otherwise.

Paul echoes this truth beautifully when he writes: “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame…” (Rom 5:3—5). Suffering, when met with faith, is never wasted. It refines us, strengthens us, and deepens our hope — not in fleeting comforts but in the steadfast promises of God.

We are reminded that all that God puts us through is for our good. Instead of grumbling, a follower of Christ should endure all that, believing God has ordained it for our good. This is not a denial of pain but an affirmation of God’s greater wisdom and love. When we embrace this long-range view, we begin to see our trials as tools of grace, shaping us into the likeness of Christ.

Today, whatever hardship you face — whether a silent burden or a visible trial — remember this: God is at work in it. He calls you to endure, to trust, and to fix your gaze not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. In doing so, you will discover the fruit of endurance, the strength of character, and a hope that will never put you to shame.

Where are you tempted to focus on short-term pain rather than long-term purpose? How might God be using your present trial to refine your character and deepen your hope in Him?

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