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Shaped by Suffering: How Temporary Hardships Prepare Us for Our Eternal Home
"The God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast." 1 Peter 5:10 Suffering comes to us all. It may be disease or debilitation, pain or persecution. Our difficulties may be invisible to others or impossible to hide. Sometimes we suffer because of our Christian witness. Other times it's simply part of living in a fallen world. But suffering affects us all, in ways we don't always anticipate. Christians today are often not prepared to suffer well and have a short-sighted view of pain and trials. Ken Boa shows how God uses suffering to shape his children for eternity and to grow them in Christlike character. The book of 1 Peter tells us suffering is both a guarantee and comparatively brief; we shouldn't be surprised when it comes to us. The nature of our affliction is not as important as our response to it. God is at work through our hardships and wants to use them to prepare us for eternal life. Suffering can make us bitter or better. Rediscover living hope, present joy, and a glorious future.
- GenresChristian Non Fiction
264 pages, Paperback
Published February 4, 2020
24 people are currently reading
68 people want to read
About the author
Kenneth D. Boa
104 books50 followersKenneth Boa is an author, a speaker, and the president of Reflections Ministries. He is the author of over fifty books, including Conformed to His Image, Faith Has Its Reasons, Face to Face, and Rewriting Your Broken Story. He is a contributing editor to the Open Bible, the Promise Keepers Men's Study Bible, and the Leadership Bible, and is the consulting editor of the Zondervan NASB Study Bible.
Boa earned a BS from Case Institute of Technology, a ThM from Dallas Theological Seminary, a PhD from New York University, and a DPhil from the University of Oxford. He teaches a weekly Bible and Faith study at Peachtree Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, Georgia, where he resides with his wife.
Boa earned a BS from Case Institute of Technology, a ThM from Dallas Theological Seminary, a PhD from New York University, and a DPhil from the University of Oxford. He teaches a weekly Bible and Faith study at Peachtree Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, Georgia, where he resides with his wife.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 6, 2020
Summary: A study of how suffering may shape a person for eternity with God, based on 1 Peter.
There's a lot of suffering in the world. Even in ordinary times. Illness. Injury. Chronic pain. Broken relationships. Depression. Death. That's just a sample. We want to know why this happened. We want to know how this can be reconciled with the goodness of God. That's not what this book is about.
The authors have a more focused purpose. They are writing for those who believe, and particularly those whose trust in Christ includes a hope beyond this earthly life, in the words of the creed, a belief in "the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting." They believe suffering forms us in this life, and prepares us for that eternity. They write:
The qualities we most admire in people are seldom forged in times of ease but in times of adversity. All the heroes of the faith suffered in some way, whether in an internal or external, chronically or as a result of a single crisis. Some suffered even to the point of death. While no sane person eagerly runs into the arms of suffering, believers in Jesus today often avoid it at all costs. Our most earnest prayers are too often, "Take this painful thing away" instead of "Use this for your glory" or "Keep me safe" instead of "Embolden my faith in this danger or threat." This book takes a hard look at our perspective on suffering and challenges us as believers (myself included) to see it more as God would have us see it: from an eternal perspective (p. 2).
The book follows 1 Peter, a book written to Christians facing imminent persecution under Nero, making this "the Job of the New Testament.' They begin with Peter's assumption of the inevitability of suffering and the hope of restoration (1 Peter 5:10). They consider how suffering purifies as fire does gold in a crucible. They explore the meaning of hope beyond death and the present joy amid suffering in the anticipation of that hope.
Contrary to our inclination to avoid or wish to escape suffering, the authors explore how we might prepare for suffering. The invitation to suffer is a call to imitate Christ, learning submission both to God and earthly authorities. Perhaps for me some of the most challenging words were in a chapter on ministering to others, and the call to intercession that "prays through." Ultimately we live for eternal glory and as called people.
The discussion, closely following the text of 1 Peter, is mixed with stories both from Christians in history, and from the authors' own lives. This is what enables the writing to transcend the nostrums that are singularly unsatisfying to those who suffer. Boa and Abel help us listen to an apostle intimately acquainted with suffering, one who knew he was destined for more. At present we face a pandemic and economic collapse. We all want life to go back to the way it was. What if it doesn't? What does it mean to lean into Christian hope when the way to it is through suffering? This book, and perhaps the study of 1 Peter, may be for such a time as this.
________________________________
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
There's a lot of suffering in the world. Even in ordinary times. Illness. Injury. Chronic pain. Broken relationships. Depression. Death. That's just a sample. We want to know why this happened. We want to know how this can be reconciled with the goodness of God. That's not what this book is about.
The authors have a more focused purpose. They are writing for those who believe, and particularly those whose trust in Christ includes a hope beyond this earthly life, in the words of the creed, a belief in "the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting." They believe suffering forms us in this life, and prepares us for that eternity. They write:
The qualities we most admire in people are seldom forged in times of ease but in times of adversity. All the heroes of the faith suffered in some way, whether in an internal or external, chronically or as a result of a single crisis. Some suffered even to the point of death. While no sane person eagerly runs into the arms of suffering, believers in Jesus today often avoid it at all costs. Our most earnest prayers are too often, "Take this painful thing away" instead of "Use this for your glory" or "Keep me safe" instead of "Embolden my faith in this danger or threat." This book takes a hard look at our perspective on suffering and challenges us as believers (myself included) to see it more as God would have us see it: from an eternal perspective (p. 2).
The book follows 1 Peter, a book written to Christians facing imminent persecution under Nero, making this "the Job of the New Testament.' They begin with Peter's assumption of the inevitability of suffering and the hope of restoration (1 Peter 5:10). They consider how suffering purifies as fire does gold in a crucible. They explore the meaning of hope beyond death and the present joy amid suffering in the anticipation of that hope.
Contrary to our inclination to avoid or wish to escape suffering, the authors explore how we might prepare for suffering. The invitation to suffer is a call to imitate Christ, learning submission both to God and earthly authorities. Perhaps for me some of the most challenging words were in a chapter on ministering to others, and the call to intercession that "prays through." Ultimately we live for eternal glory and as called people.
The discussion, closely following the text of 1 Peter, is mixed with stories both from Christians in history, and from the authors' own lives. This is what enables the writing to transcend the nostrums that are singularly unsatisfying to those who suffer. Boa and Abel help us listen to an apostle intimately acquainted with suffering, one who knew he was destined for more. At present we face a pandemic and economic collapse. We all want life to go back to the way it was. What if it doesn't? What does it mean to lean into Christian hope when the way to it is through suffering? This book, and perhaps the study of 1 Peter, may be for such a time as this.
________________________________
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
December 1, 2023
The author opens his book by describing what it is about so the reader is not misled. Most people read a book like this because it is about how to pray and ask God to take your suffering away. He has written this book to talk about what God can do in our character and heart as we suffer. It prepares us for heaven.
His chapter on the crucible of suffering gets personal as he shares his suffering and his wife’s suffering. We have two options when we suffer. I’m thankful for this chapter because it reminds me of the choices I can make in my suffering. His book focuses on First Peter mostly as he describes how to suffer for Jesus.
The Alchemy of Grace, chapter 2, describes how God takes are suffering and turns it to gold. There’s no other way for God to improve our character and strengthen our faith but adversity. This is a hard truth, and it’s hard to remember in the midst of the crushing and adversity. Boa distinguishes between hope and joy by describing hope as a living hope because believing the whole story about Jesus gives us a hope for the future and eternity. It is a worthwhile hope. We can have joy in suffering because it doesn’t last forever and Jesus is with us.
Next, he discusses how to prepare to suffer. Most of us in the Western world are isolated from suffering because we do not expect it or deal with it a lot. In preparing to suffer, we realize that we should expect to suffer as Christians. He talks about Daniel’s three friends who went through the fire together with Jesus. This was a very helpful chapter and would be useful for all Christians to read.
Boa talks about how Jesus was an innocent Sufferer while no other human is innocent in suffering. He suffered silently and we rarely do that. We must learn to here God in our suffering. We can imitate Jesus in our suffering today. We must submit to God. He describes holy living and what it is to do it biblically.
Another form of suffering is through submitting to authority. We must have a program mindset as we go through this life. He describes submission in several spheres such as the government, workplace, household, and Church. Chapter 9 focuses on ministering to others and how suffering helps us do that morph actively. This was my favorite chapter of the whole book. We know how to minister to those who are suffering and when we have suffered similar hardships, we have a keen understanding of how others suffer.
The author talks about the eternal glory of rewards we will receive after we have suffered in this life. There’s nothing wrong with talking about eternal rewards. He goes through the passages where the Bible talks about eternal glory and rewards. The last chapter of the book is a fine conclusion. He finishes with gems to remember as we talk about the suffering we do in this life. He connected suffering to our character, culture, and calling as Christians.
The appendices of this book are also very helpful for those who are going through suffering. Whole books have been written on how good God can allow suffering, and the first appendix gives a brief apologetic in this regard. The author presents an abbreviated form of one of his books, God I Don’t Understand.
The second appendix gives ten prayer tips for people praying for those who are suffering. These were abbreviated and helpful with Scriptures to look up. Appendix 3 offers prayers we can pray for ourselves and others based on the prayers of Peter and Paul. I thought these were an excellent choice made by the author. The fourth appendix gives a selective list of prayers of lament. My favorite part of these appendices was the fifth one in which Boa gives a list of Scriptures that give us an eternal perspective on our suffering.
At first, I didn’t know what to expect about this book. I wanted to read it because of going through paralysis. Nobody really knows how much you suffer until they are “in the pain” with you. This is a helpful book when you’re in the moment of suffering. Kenneth Boa produces a work that can give you a deeper and more eternal perspective while you are suffering. The only difference in perspective I have is that I don’t believe God allows you to suffer for your whole life. I recommend this book to anyone who is going through suffering and pain and wants to understand it better.
His chapter on the crucible of suffering gets personal as he shares his suffering and his wife’s suffering. We have two options when we suffer. I’m thankful for this chapter because it reminds me of the choices I can make in my suffering. His book focuses on First Peter mostly as he describes how to suffer for Jesus.
The Alchemy of Grace, chapter 2, describes how God takes are suffering and turns it to gold. There’s no other way for God to improve our character and strengthen our faith but adversity. This is a hard truth, and it’s hard to remember in the midst of the crushing and adversity. Boa distinguishes between hope and joy by describing hope as a living hope because believing the whole story about Jesus gives us a hope for the future and eternity. It is a worthwhile hope. We can have joy in suffering because it doesn’t last forever and Jesus is with us.
Next, he discusses how to prepare to suffer. Most of us in the Western world are isolated from suffering because we do not expect it or deal with it a lot. In preparing to suffer, we realize that we should expect to suffer as Christians. He talks about Daniel’s three friends who went through the fire together with Jesus. This was a very helpful chapter and would be useful for all Christians to read.
Boa talks about how Jesus was an innocent Sufferer while no other human is innocent in suffering. He suffered silently and we rarely do that. We must learn to here God in our suffering. We can imitate Jesus in our suffering today. We must submit to God. He describes holy living and what it is to do it biblically.
Another form of suffering is through submitting to authority. We must have a program mindset as we go through this life. He describes submission in several spheres such as the government, workplace, household, and Church. Chapter 9 focuses on ministering to others and how suffering helps us do that morph actively. This was my favorite chapter of the whole book. We know how to minister to those who are suffering and when we have suffered similar hardships, we have a keen understanding of how others suffer.
The author talks about the eternal glory of rewards we will receive after we have suffered in this life. There’s nothing wrong with talking about eternal rewards. He goes through the passages where the Bible talks about eternal glory and rewards. The last chapter of the book is a fine conclusion. He finishes with gems to remember as we talk about the suffering we do in this life. He connected suffering to our character, culture, and calling as Christians.
The appendices of this book are also very helpful for those who are going through suffering. Whole books have been written on how good God can allow suffering, and the first appendix gives a brief apologetic in this regard. The author presents an abbreviated form of one of his books, God I Don’t Understand.
The second appendix gives ten prayer tips for people praying for those who are suffering. These were abbreviated and helpful with Scriptures to look up. Appendix 3 offers prayers we can pray for ourselves and others based on the prayers of Peter and Paul. I thought these were an excellent choice made by the author. The fourth appendix gives a selective list of prayers of lament. My favorite part of these appendices was the fifth one in which Boa gives a list of Scriptures that give us an eternal perspective on our suffering.
At first, I didn’t know what to expect about this book. I wanted to read it because of going through paralysis. Nobody really knows how much you suffer until they are “in the pain” with you. This is a helpful book when you’re in the moment of suffering. Kenneth Boa produces a work that can give you a deeper and more eternal perspective while you are suffering. The only difference in perspective I have is that I don’t believe God allows you to suffer for your whole life. I recommend this book to anyone who is going through suffering and pain and wants to understand it better.
April 13, 2020
An outstanding, timely read for me. Boa doesn't attempt to provide a full theodicy (though he touches on such and provides some concise thoughts in an appendix). Rather, he focuses on "How Temporary Hardships Prepare Us for Our Eternal Home" (the book's subtitle). His observations and teaching in that space are wise, helpful, and deeply encouraging.
June 14, 2020
(NOTE: I'm stingy with stars. For me 2 stars means a good book or a B. 3 stars means a very good book or a B+. 4 stars means an outstanding book or an A {only about 5% of the books I read merit 4 stars}. 5 stars means an all time favorite or an A+ {Only one of 400 or 500 books rates this!).
The great news is that I can listen to a book a day at work. The bad news is that I can’t keep up with decent reviews. So I’m going to give up for now and just rate them. I hope to come back to some of the most significant things I listen to and read them and then post a review.
A very good summary of what the Bible says about suffering. I would have liked for it to be go into more depth however.
The great news is that I can listen to a book a day at work. The bad news is that I can’t keep up with decent reviews. So I’m going to give up for now and just rate them. I hope to come back to some of the most significant things I listen to and read them and then post a review.
A very good summary of what the Bible says about suffering. I would have liked for it to be go into more depth however.
June 19, 2025
I am not a religious person by any means, although I was raised Catholic. I respect people who believe in God, Buddha, whomever or whatever makes sense. I think there were some good points in this book: the biggest one being that suffering is a necessity and it is temporary because without Pain or struggle, we can't evolve into something… Higher, for lack of a better word.
I thought there was too much focus on sin and being sinful… That concept has always turned me off, probably because it was so drilled into me from my forced Catholic days.
Anyway, these thoughts probably don't make any sense to anyone else, but that's fine. I mostly write for me, and I'll be the first to say that I don't like writing reviews, nor do I really have any interest in being good at them.
I thought there was too much focus on sin and being sinful… That concept has always turned me off, probably because it was so drilled into me from my forced Catholic days.
Anyway, these thoughts probably don't make any sense to anyone else, but that's fine. I mostly write for me, and I'll be the first to say that I don't like writing reviews, nor do I really have any interest in being good at them.
November 25, 2022
As one who suffers from chronic pain due to autoimmune arthritis and also as a minister and teacher of spiritual disciplines this book was a deeply encouraging reminder of God’s faithfulness. The authors effectively weave the truth of Scripture and the life experiences of themselves and other sufferers to build up the reader and give them hope as they are reminded of how God can work through us to bless others.
January 27, 2024
Truth in suffering
Kenneth Boa has truly helped me in a time of great adversity. Using scripture and writings by well grounded Christians such as C. S. Lewis, he reminds us of the truth of the gospel and encourages us in our walk in this fallen world. Boa has a great gift of understanding and communication to offer Christ to the struggling soul.
Kenneth Boa has truly helped me in a time of great adversity. Using scripture and writings by well grounded Christians such as C. S. Lewis, he reminds us of the truth of the gospel and encourages us in our walk in this fallen world. Boa has a great gift of understanding and communication to offer Christ to the struggling soul.
February 29, 2020
Sharing wisdom from the apostle Peter, illustrations from history, and struggles from their own lives, authors Kenneth Boa and Jenny Abel provide compassionate, practical guidance for looking at earthly trials from a eternal perspective.
September 24, 2020
Probably The best book I have read on the subject of suffering.
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March 26, 2021This is the best book on suffering , faith, and the Pilgrim life I have read yet!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews