17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. Romans 8:17 NIV

We avoid suffering, or at least try to, as much as possible. We run to and cling to comfort. And much of our comfort is found in our stuff. Closets, garages, and basements bursting at the seams with all the stuff we’ve accumulated. Never enough. Always more.

What if the opposite of suffering isn’t comfort but glory? Specifically, sharing in the glory of Christ. Are we missing sharing in his glory because we are so comfortable? Are we suffering BECAUSE of our comfort (and all the stuff of our comfort), but we don’t even know what we are missing? Do we fail to see, know and share in his glory now because we are so satisfied in our comfort that we don’t even realize what we are missing?

Is the stuff part of the suffering?