Use suffering to build your character. Don’t resent it or
let it tear you down. When we suffer, if we faithfully represent Christ, our
message and example affect others for good. Our inner attitudes do not have to
reflect our outward circumstances. It is easy to get discouraged about
unpleasant circumstances or to take unimportant events to seriously. Some
people think that troubles are always caused by sin or lack in faith, trails
may be a part of God’s plan for believers. Experiencing problems and persecutions
can build character and perseverance and sensitivity toward others who also
face trouble. Problems are unavoidable for God’s people. Your troubles may be a
sign of effective Christian living.
Some people turn to God with the hope of escaping suffering
on earth, but God does not promise that. Instead He gives us power to grow
through our suffering. James does not say if you face trials, but when you face
them. He assumes we will have trials and that it is possible to profit from
them. James tells us to turn our hardships into times of learning. We can’t
really know the depth of our character until we see how we react under
pressure. We should see our struggles as opportunities for growth.
The key to surviving trials are patience and faith. When we
are faced with crushing troubles, we can have faith that God is using our
trials for good and for His glory. Knowing God is fair and just will give us
patience in our suffering because we know that He has not forgotten us. In
God’s perfect timing, He will relieve our suffering. Can you trust God’s
timing?
As we live for Christ we will experience troubles because we
are trying to be God’s people in a perverse world. Our problems can help us
look upward and forward instead of inward. They can build strong character and
they can provide us with opportunities to comfort others who are also
struggling.
Read Philippians
chapter 1 and 1 Thessalonians chapter 3
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