Our Suffering Produces Crowns

God has promised His people great joy and peace in this life. But, He also promised our life would not be pain-free. Our Lord has promised a crown of life laid up in heaven for those who persevere amid pain and suffering here on earth. So we will find it worth all we go through when we get to heaven because our suffering produces crowns.  

I have a friend who knows how much I love flowers. I could have spared her the expense if she had only asked. Even though my outdoor plants seem to thrive, indoor plants are a different story. I tend to forget them and never water them at all, or I water them way too much. The crown of thorn plant she bought me was no different. 

 

Jesus willingly endured pain and suffering. 

 

As I reached to pluck a wilted yellow leaf from the stem, I focused on the long row of thorns. I touched one lightly as my thoughts went to the crown of thorns the Savior wore on the day of His crucifixion. A stark reminder of the pain and suffering He willingly endured. 

Undergoing sometimes long hours being a caregiver, I often question God’s goodness for my family. I am brutally honest in sharing that. I was feeling a little sorry for myself and wrestling with God over that very thing on his particular morning. It is easy to see God’s goodness for others, but I had let discontentment and a little envy of other people’s seemingly pain-free lives cloud my focus and steal my clarity. 

After getting up with tremendous pain in my neck and shoulder, I grumbled to myself and a little to God, asking if taking care of my husband’s every need was enough to go through. Then, as I stood to reach the stem full of thorns, my heart burned with so many questions. Questions that others may not understand, but God understood each one. 

 

Our crowns won’t come without pain and suffering. 

 

I heard that small still voice whisper to my heart a much-needed reminder as I thought on the thorns Jesus willingly worn upon His head. I heard him whisper that “your crown won’t come without thorns either.” As sons and daughters of the kingdom, we will suffer in this life. God never one time told us differently. My heavenly Father was gently reminding me of what He had spoken to us in His word, “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. James 1:12 (ESV) https://www.biblestudytools.com/esv/james/1-12.html

We all will have crosses to bear too. So Jesus told us along with His disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?” Matthew 16: 24-26 (ESV) https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2016%3A24-26&version=ESV

 

God never promised life would always be easy. 

 

While suffering through hardships, I often forget that God never promised me that the road I walk through in life would be easy. 

I allow the enemy to dim my perspective with snapshots of other people’s journeys that seem to be easier than mine. He fails to tell us that our lives have seasons. Instead, he is quick to show us our neighbor’s flourishing summer seasons while we are walking through our cold days of winter. Pain and suffering come to all but God never told us it would be at the same time. 

Even though we will suffer many things in this life, we can joy in them all. Just like Paul wrote of incredible joy when he sat alone in a prison cell, not knowing the outcome of his sentence. He penned the words with much love, “Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings so that we may also share in his glory.” Romans 8:17-18 (NIV) https://biblia.com/bible/niv/romans/8/17-18

 Our rewards in heaven will be many. Our eyes will behold such indescribable beauty, and our feet will walk on purest gold. But none of the grandeur there will compare to seeing our Jesus face to face and kneeling in His presence. So I can assure you the bad morning I was having will never be remembered anymore when I reach heaven. 

Friends, our crown of life will cost us something here on earth. Jesus paid for them by wearing His crown of thorns. All so we could wear a crown of life and righteousness and be clothed with immortality that we could experience all the wonders and glory of a place called heaven because He overcame the cold dark grave. All so we could have peace even amid pain and suffering. 

All our pain and suffering will be worth it.

 

I took out my worn-out Bible. It is my go-to when my heart aches to understand things I go through in this life. I have found it to be full of answers. Honestly, it just makes me feel better on my hard days. 

I turned to the crucifixion story again. I deliberately sought out the pages about the crown of thorns. (Mark 15: 17) https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%2015%3A17&version=KJV   It was what I needed in my moment of doubt and wrestling. And as I allowed my heart to soak in the truth of God’s word, it became like a salve that soothed my hurting soul.  

Did my husband’s illness suddenly go away? No

Did it mean I would never question the things I go through again? No

Did it mean the pain in my neck suddenly was gone? No

Did it mean I suddenly understood why my husband and I currently seem to suffer more than others around us? No

But it did mean that I can face my tomorrow with the assurance that God will make it all worth it. Yes, you bet it did. 

 

He will work things out for my good, His glory and a crown laid up for me in heaven.

I am promised by a God who can never lie that I never serve Him in vain (I Corinthians 15:58) https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%2015%3A58&version=NIV and that He will turn every bit of my suffering and pain around for my good and His glory. I have His promise that my suffering here on earth will produce a crown of life for me to wear in heaven. A crown I will be honored to lay at my Savior’s feet. 

So as you pick up your cross today and wear the crown that pierces your mind with questions, I invite you to visit Mark 15:17. Soak it all in. Jesus didn’t suffer for no reason at all. We, as believers, are the result of all He went through and proof of the reward that is soon coming. We can tell ourselves with the assurance that we have more to our lives than pain and hardships because He has promised better days ahead. 

As for my crown of thorn plant with the wilted leaves, I tried to correct the damage I have done to no avail. But I let it comfort my heart because even though things break and die here, the treasures like my crown laid up in heaven are indestructible. My suffering here will produce the crown of life that will be mine in heaven. So Jesus told us himself in Mathew 6: 19-20, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.” https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%206%3A19-20&version=NIV

 

God will give us a prosperous future despite hardships. 

 

And friend, let me close by saying. He is so good to us and has so much planned for our futures. So, even amid pain, we can boldly declare the promise from Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 

We can even raise the rafters singing the lyrics from the old hymn, “what a glorious day that will be when heaven last we shall see.”

 

See you in the field, 

Susan 

 

*You can also read another one of my posts on crown entitled Grace Turns Broken Tiaras into Crowns. https://ruth216girl.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=1007&action=edit