What does Romans say about suffering?Sample

A Counter-Cultural Way to Live

Have you ever been betrayed by someone you trusted, or had moments when you wondered why your life was filled with disappointment, hardship, and injustice?

In moments of pain, loss, and betrayal, it’s normal to want vengeance. Because we are broken people living in a broken world, our first reaction is often a desire for the people who hurt us to experience equal or greater amounts of suffering.

But Jesus calls us to live differently.

You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5:43-45 NIV

This is something the apostle Paul reiterates in Romans chapter 12…

Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. …Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.

Romans 12:19, 21 NLT

We have a choice. We can either choose to let anger and pain overcome and control us—or we can allow God to justify, deliver, and take care of us.

This choice isn’t easy. In many cases, it goes against our sense of personal justice and fairness. But when we take someone’s punishment into our own hands, we become as guilty as the person who’s hurt us. The only one impartial enough to bring us true justice is the God who daily has mercy on us.

Romans 12:19-21 serves as a reminder that God is the ultimate judge. We are not God, and so our role is to cry out to Him, and let Him take care of us. Do we fight for justice? Yes. Do we stand up for the poor and the oppressed? Absolutely—we must. The way we conquer evil is by doing good.

But one day, God Himself will permanently right every wrong. In fact, because of Jesus, every sin, mistake, and painful action has already been paid for—because He paid for it with His life.

This means that evil has an end date. The righteous anger of God will have its full effect. Suffering will not last forever. But as we await that perfected future, let’s follow Jesus’ example by showing people love, mercy, and forgiveness—because that is what God has shown us.