Seizing suffering

I kind of like these thoughts on suffering from Phillip Fletcher:

Imagine if we seized suffering. Imagine right now, what if you sat for a moment and reflected on whatever hardship had jumped on your Christian journey and you declared, “I will be using you to serve the cause of my joy. No longer will grief simply accompany you suffering, but now my companion, joy, will now walk with us.”

Phillip's article is a reminder that as Christians we are called to share in Christ's sufferings (Rom. 8:17; 2 Cor. 1:5; Philip. 1:29; 3:10; 2 Tim. 1:8; 2 Tim. 2:3; 1 Pe. 2:20-22; 4:13-19).