Growing Through Troubles

Chuckle: "We may be lost," the husband said to his wife, "but at least we're making good time."

Quote: "God does not call those who are equipped; he equips those whom he has called." --Sam Wigglesworth

"We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us -- they help us learn to endure. And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation" (Romans 5:3-4 NLT).

The Scripture is plain: God wants us to learn and grow from the troubles and trials we experience in life. The more you experience the power of God helping you work through your problems, the more you learn about his faithfulness, his love, and his character; and the more you learn about what God does, the more you will want to learn about who he is.

"Those who are wise will take all this to heart; they will see in our history the faithful love of the Lord" (Psalm 107:43 NLT).

The more we endure troubles, the stronger our character becomes; the more we recognize what's important in life, and the more we look upon God as the source of our strength. Once we truly come to grips with the notion that we learn and profit from our troubles and trials, we will begin to pray: "Lord what are you wanting to teach me by this experience?" Sometimes the things we pray for God to remove from our lives are the very things he wants to use to shape us into the people he wants us to be.

"Some flowers, such as the rose, must be crushed if their full fragrance is to be released. Some fruits must be bruised if they are to attain ripeness and sweetness. Some metals, such as gold, must be heated in the furnace if they are to become pure. The attaining of godliness -- the process of becoming a mature Christian -- requires similar special handling. It is often through pain, suffering, trouble, adversity, trials, and even temptation that we develop spiritual discipline and become refined and enriched." –Unknown source

The apostle Paul exhibits an attitude toward suffering that should help us realize that experiencing trials and troubles only brings us into closer fellowship with our Lord. "I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his suffering, becoming like him in his death, . . ." (Pilippians 3:10 NIV). Paul welcomed suffering as Jesus suffered if it would result in his knowing Jesus more intimately. He realized that suffering through troubles would teach him to endure and become more mature in his faith and more like Jesus.

Love, Jerry  & Dotse