Whenever we rejoice for our suffering instead of in our suffering, we try to justify ourselves by our suffering. Justification makes a difference in our lives by ending our suffering-by-works and beginning our suffering-by-grace.
In other words, the cosmic acceptance and affection we crave and strive for is not found in people or in our performance but rather is found in Jesus and His performance.
Everyone is struggling for righteousness. It could be Olympic-righteousness, achievement-righteousness, Mom-righteousness, body image-righteousness, food-righteousness, relational-righteousness, ideological-righteousness, or religious righteousness…
