A young guy asked me this week, “If you could go back to my age, what would you tell yourself?”
I didn’t hesitate long.
Marry Kate. Run from the culture’s view of success. Raise your kids with joy. Don’t waste time trying to impress people. Dig deep into the gospel now. Know Jesus, not just serve Him. Worship first. Work second. And when the door opens to step into what God has for you…run.
We all wish we could go back. But here’s the good news of the gospel: you don’t get a time machine, you get a new morning.
“Because of the Lord’s faithful love, we do not perish… His mercies are new every morning.” Lamentations 3:22–23
You can’t go back. But in Christ, you can start fresh. And in Colossians 1:24–29, Paul gives us something powerful.
Not advice for our past, but truth for our present. A declaration of who we are in Jesus: I am afflicted.
“I rejoice in my sufferings…” Colossians 1:24
That’s not a coffee-mug verse. Paul writes this from prison. Not because he failed, but because he was faithful.
Here’s what we weren’t told when we first came to Christ: Following Jesus does not mean an easier life. It means supernatural endurance. Some of you came to faith and lost friends. Some lost opportunities. Some lost their reputation.
Some pray, and heaven feels silent. And you’re thinking, “Nobody told me it would be like this.”
The Bible did.
One third of the Psalms are laments. Every Old Testament prophet wrestled with sorrow. Jesus Himself said we would be insulted, opposed, and misunderstood. Christian suffering is real. But here’s the difference: We don’t suffer alone. And we don’t suffer without purpose. There are different kinds of suffering:
Common suffering – living in a fallen world.
Consequential suffering – you reap what you sow.
Corrective suffering – loving discipline from the Father.
Christian suffering – hardship because you follow Jesus.
Paul’s in prison for that last one. And he says, I rejoice. Not because pain is fun. Not because he’s delusional. Not because tomorrow will magically be better. But because he knows this:
A good and sovereign God is using this for His glory, their good, and Paul’s growth. Read it carefully, “For your sake.”
His chains were serving someone else’s freedom. That changes everything. We don’t pursue suffering. We pursue Jesus. But when you pursue Jesus long enough, suffering eventually walks beside you.
And here’s the rock-solid truth: There is not one pain that enters your life as a Christian that is not Father-filtered and filled with purpose. That doesn’t mean God causes evil. It means He wastes nothing. Your affliction does not mean:
Jesus forgot you.
Jesus abandoned you.
Jesus is finished with you.
The cross says He’s for you. The resurrection says He’s not done with you. So when suffering comes, the question shifts. Not “Why is this happening?”
But—“Who are you making me?”
You can’t go back. But you can start today. This morning can be new.
Not because circumstances changed. But because you remember who you are. And when suffering comes, and it will, you stand firm, shoulders back, eyes up, and say: This is who I am in Christ, and He is with me
Pastor Chris Williams
To learn more about Pastor Chris and his teachings, visit us online at fcfamily.org and be sure to subscribe to receive these weekly encouragements in your inbox.