When Satan sought to annihilate Christ via the cross, he was actually setting himself up for failure. The same is true when he causes Christians to suffer. Paul describes this in Romans 5:3–4 (ESV). “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that SUFFERING produces ENDURANCE, and endurance produces CHARACTER, and character produces HOPE,” …

So, how exactly does this work?

1. SUFFERING: Accept the reality of the suffering. Our first instinct is to deny what is happening. We say and believe lies like: Our loved one did not really die; We did not really lose our employment; Or our addiction will not cost us everything.

2. ENDURANCE: On the path to healing, keep moving through all the uncomfortable emotions and/or cravings. Express the hopelessness but do not live there. Move through it.

3. CHARACTER: Look for or discover your new normal. This means, if the suffering was alcohol, then endurance stops the cravings. The new normal is a person who no longer has alcohol urges as part of his/her character. In this stage resist the urge to return to the past.

4. HOPE: Find hope in this new normal. For David, after the agonizing loss of a child, his new normal was a hope that he was going to be reunited with his innocent baby in heaven.

On December 1st, 1984, I stopped drinking all alcohol. I endured through the change. Today my character has no yearnings for that past life. My new normal is a life without that addictive, depressing, liver, and memory destroying crutch.

Friend, what is causing you to suffer today?