Good morning. Happy Friday. Welcome to the morning motivation. Hopefully this week and the week

prior has been helpful to you. I don't know how helpful it is if you're in the midst of suffering,

but hopefully you can grab onto some of these things for when the suffering comes next for you.

We're talking about what is the Christian response to suffering.

Last week was about other worldviews and other religions. This week it's been about the

Christian response. And notice of all the reasons we've talked about why God allows suffering

to exist, none of them was this pseudo-Christian suffering exists to make you stronger.

No, not only is that not it.

That's the opposite of it.

Now, people may quote 1-Peter 1-17 and there's this imagery of gold being purified in fire.

And you're like, oh, that's awesome.

Like, whatever doesn't kill me makes me stronger.

You're like, no, that's not it.

The scripture says, in this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary,

you have been grieved by various trials so that the tested

genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire,

may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. This is not

about getting stronger in general so that you can overcome anything. Right? Does that make sense? Like it's not, well, if you can overcome anything.

Right?

Does that make sense?

Like it's not, well, if you can overcome this difficult time, then you'll be able to overcome the next difficult time.

No, no, no, the opposite.

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