That's Hard!

Glorifying God While Suffering

How do we love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength when life is hard?

Jesus gives that command clearly in Mark 12:30. It’s not partial. It’s not situational. It’s everything we are. But when real suffering comes, that command can feel difficult to live out.

I was recently reminded of this while listening to a lecture by a former professor. That same evening, I listened to a counseling session with Dr. Charlie Hodges. One statement stood out: our goal in suffering is to “glorify God more than we want to breathe.”

That’s easy to say, but it’s much harder to live.

In the counseling example, a wife who had been deeply hurt by her husband was asked whether she was willing to do what was necessary to repair her marriage, even to the point of extending biblical forgiveness. Her response was simple: “That’s hard.”

She gave an honest answer. And most of us, if we’re truthful, would say the same.

Suffering has a way of bringing that out. Whether it’s betrayal, loss, disappointment, or ongoing hardship, it weighs on us. It shapes how we think, how we respond, and even how we worship. It’s one thing to say we love God with everything when life is steady. It’s another when life is not.

Scripture reminds us that suffering should not surprise us. In 1 Peter 4:12–13, we’re told not to think of trials as something strange. But even knowing that, we still struggle when they come.

The apostle Paul addresses this in 2 Corinthians 1:8–10. He describes being so burdened that he despaired of life itself. That’s strong language. He also explains what God was doing through it, teaching him to rely not on himself but on the God who raises the dead.

That’s often what suffering does. It brings us to the end of ourselves… to our limits.

Another great quote I heard at the conference from my professor is that “the fight of faith is needed every day” (Galatians 5:16-17). It is a daily decision, not automatic. It means turning to the Word when we don’t feel like it, praying when it feels difficult, and staying connected to other believers when we would rather pull away.

Even then, we may still find ourselves saying, “Lord, I want to—but this is hard.”

And that’s exactly why the words of Christ matter so much. In Matthew 11:28–30, He invites those who are weary and burdened to come to Him. He doesn’t dismiss the weight we feel. He meets us in it. He walks with us through it.

When we remember who He is—our Savior, our Lord, the One who loves us, sacrificed for us, and intercedes for us—we begin to find the strength to keep going.

We may not always feel like we are loving God with all that we are. But as we continue to rely on Him, He is at work in us—especially in our suffering—helping us to trust Him more and to see Him as enough (Roman 5:3-5).