“So don’t be embarrassed to speak up for our Master or for me, his prisoner. Take your share of suffering for the Message along with the rest of us. We can only keep on going, after all, by the power of God, who first saved us and then called us to this holy work. We had nothing to do with it. It was all his idea, a gift prepared for us in Jesus long before we knew anything about it. But we know it now. Since the appearance of our Savior, nothing could be plainer: death defeated, life vindicated in a steady blaze of light, all through the work of Jesus” (2 Tim. 1:8-10).

A station that I listen to occasionally has something called Today’s Word on the Way, which is basically the verse for the day. I decided to borrow that concept and offer up a fresh take on some verses that many are probably familiar with. It’s from the Apostle Paul’s very last letter shortly before he made the ultimate sacrifice of his life for the cause of Christ.

Even facing execution, Paul could be confident and optimistic because of the hope he had in a certain future. I think that no matter what our days bring us or what the week ahead looks like, we can rest in a secure outcome based on the last chapter of the last book in the Bible. In other words, we can know that instead of fighting for victory, we fight from victory. Our labors and faith are not in vain but are based on promises that are as good as done.

I’ve found that you can endure just about any circumstance if you know it’s temporary and that something better is coming. Pain and suffering become more bearable when they serve a purpose of making us more like Jesus and leading to a glory that far outweighs any sacrifice or losses we endure.