My name is Chantal and I am a follower of Jesus, wife, mom of 3 boys, missionary, writer and cancer survivor. I started this blog to tell my story—a testimony of God’s goodness and grace—and to offer encouragement to anyone out there who may be struggling to trust God in the midst of suffering.
For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen.
Romans 11:36 NLT
I believe that God does everything for His glory and for the good of His children. Because He is sovereign, we can trust that every circumstance He allows us to go through is for the purpose of bringing Himself glory, and because He loves us, we can trust that every circumstance is ultimately for our good as well.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28 NIV
Jesus said, “In this world, you will have trouble” (John 16:33). We live in a sinful, fallen world, and no aspect of our lives is untouched by the consequences of the fall. Our bodies break down and stop working; relationships fail and leave scars on our hearts; hard work is not always met by the rewards we desire; evil, instead of justice, seems to prevail. Life on earth is riddled with pain and sadness. Suffering is ubiquitous.
Some of us may struggle to figure out why we’re suffering, or feel like we don’t deserve what we’re suffering. Some of us may doubt God’s love, goodness, wisdom or power. Some of us may be living in loneliness or fear, bitterness or anger. Some of us may be envious of others who lead seemingly smooth, successful lives. Some of us may feel hopeless, like we’ve reached the end of the rope. Suffering brings out a turmoil of emotions that we did not know existed before.
Paul Tripp writes in his book Suffering: “Your suffering is more powerfully shaped by what’s in your heart than by what’s in your body or in the world around you. …Suffering draws out the true thoughts, attitudes, assumptions, and desires of your heart.” Suffering is spiritual warfare. Tripp continues: “Too many of us, while battling the cause of our suffering, forget to battle for our hearts. …Our hearts are always a battleground between fear and faith, between doubt and hope, and between what is true and what is false.”
As believers and followers of Christ, we can arm ourselves with the truth and learn to suffer well. “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness” (2 Peter 1:3). And you know what? We have the best teacher and example to follow. “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps” (1 Peter 2:21).
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
2 Corinthians 4:16-17
The statement by Jesus I quoted earlier is not complete. The whole verse of John 16:33 reads: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Notice Jesus’ statement that we will suffer is sandwiched by two promises. Even in suffering, we can have peace and victory because we are in Him, and He is victorious over the world.
The purpose of this blog is to encourage you to look to God’s truth and to God Himself—that you may be comforted, encouraged, convicted, strengthened and prepared to suffer well, and in the process, experience His goodness and bring Him glory.
In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
1 Peter 1:6-7
For His Glory and Our Good 