We do not naturally choose or enjoy suffering. Sometimes, we cannot avoid it. What we can choose is God’s will while suffering. Oswald Chambers encouraged us to choose God’s will even if it means we will suffer. That is putting Christ before ourselves, before our pleasure, etc. While we suffer, we can try to gain any value that might be found in suffering. If we must suffer, we must try to get the maximum benefit from it. Romans 5:3-5 speaks about the power of suffering to produce endurance, character, and hope, and to experience God in new ways.
Adrian Timmons 