Suffering Well Refines and Leads to Perfection in Christ w Pastor Sylvia Laughlin (touroftruth.com)

The Bible says, be perfect because I am perfect. We cannot perfect ourselves, but the suffering helps us in God uses it, to perfect us in Him. So Jesus' way must become our way. It all begins with self-denial, and that's exactly what Jesus did. Let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God. That is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to him. Amen. Self-denial. You must say no to your ego. What you want, what you like, what you think, and what you feel does not matter. God has a big plan and a purpose, and that is to redeem mankind and reconcile us to Himself. God's desire from the very beginning has been to reveal himself to man.

Jesus said to his disciples, if anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me for whoever desires to save his life will lose it. And whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What is a man profited if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?