I Rejoice in My Sufferings

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known (Colossians 1:24-25)

Paul echoes his exhortation from 1 Thessalonians 5:16 to “rejoice always,” and here in Colossians, he lives that out by rejoicing in his sufferings—not for the pain itself, but because of who it’s for: the body of Christ. Paul endured severe afflictions, and yet time and time again, the Lord allowed him to see how those trials advanced the gospel (Philippians 1:12–14; 3:8–9). That eternal perspective allowed him to rejoice in hardship and remain content, anchored by the truth that he could endure all things through Christ who strengthened him (Philippians 4:11–13).

The phrase “filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions” can be easily misunderstood. Paul wasn’t suggesting there was anything insufficient about Christ’s atoning sacrifice. Rather, he understood that because believers are united with Christ, any suffering endured for His name becomes part of Christ’s ongoing afflictions through His body, the Church. So Paul, writing from a Roman prison, saw his personal suffering as a continuation of what it means to follow Christ faithfully.

This wasn’t just endurance—it was stewardship. Paul saw his trials as part of his commission to make the word of God fully known. And if we too are to be faithful stewards of the gospel, we must recognize that suffering isn’t an obstacle—but it is often part of our mission. But with our eyes fixed on Christ, counting all else as loss, we will find strength to rejoice even in hardship, knowing it serves a greater purpose for His kingdom.