Is suffering for Christ always part of following Him?

from the old testament

• Before Jesus entered human history as a man, Old Testament saints understood that they may suffer for their allegiance to God. Daniel 3:17–18 records Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s reply to Nebuchadnezzar about his threat to throw them into a furnace for refusing to bow to an idol: “If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” The three young men were ready to be killed, rather than compromise their belief. Christians today must be prepared to do the same.

from the new testament

• Jesus Himself tells us in Matthew 16:24–25 that we will suffer for following Him: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
• Paul reiterates Jesus’s point in 2 Timothy 3:12: “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”
• Romans 5:3–5 indicates that our suffering is not in vain: “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” As with everything in our lives, God uses our suffering for our good and His will (Romans 8:28).

implications for today

“No pain, no gain. As you wake up sore from working out, maybe you’ve thought of that mantra. . .and cringed. Let’s face it: Suffering isn’t something we typically seek out. We only endure it if it leads to something better. But there is suffering you can rejoice in. This is what apostles of the early church experienced. For instance, Peter and other apostles went away from a beating “rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name” (Acts 5:41). The “name” was Christ, whom they had proclaimed despite the warnings of the Jewish high council. Maybe you’ve read about their sufferings and wondered, “How did they do it?” The answer is that “they” couldn’t, but the Holy Spirit could (Romans 8:26–27; 2 Corinthians 1:3–4). Believers are indwelt by the Holy Spirit who strengthens us, so we can face what we must for Christ (John 14:16–17; Ephesians 3:16; 2 Timothy 1:7). We shouldn’t think about potential trials and be anxious about how we will fare. Instead, we should prepare by immersing ourselves in God’s word and praying to Him daily. He has already given us a “Helper” in the Holy Spirit, and He will give us the strength we need when we need it (John 14:16–17). Believing in Christ goes hand-in-hand with suffering, but it’s affliction we rejoice in because it is to His glory.