I'm working through the 6 book series, "Design for Discipleship" with a precious fellow saint. We are on the lesson entitled, "Character in Action". This lesson deals with the subject of suffering. The opening paragraph states, "A Christian is not immune to the experience of suffering......for a Christian, SUFFERING carries with it the promises of God's sovereign purpose in SHAPING the inner qualities of life"(emphasis mine).
This lesson was a fantastic reminder of the PURPOSE of suffering in our lives. On page 45 of our lesson, it stated, "A man's response to problems determines his maturity level. Each crisis is an opportunity for victory or defeat".
Folks, did you read that? "...A man's response to problems determines his maturity level, each crisis is an opportunity for VICTORY or DEFEAT". We all "GO" through stuff, BUT we don't all "Grow" through stuff.
Allow me to briefly talk about the wrong and right responses to our trials. The wrong way to respond to your trials which will always result in DEFEAT are as follows:
1. Not seeking the Lord/Forgetting God (Ps106:13-15)
2. Seeking vengeance (i.e., repaying Evil for Evil) [Rom 12:17-19]
3. Bitterness/Anger (Heb 12:15)
4. Ingratitude (Eph 5:20)
5. Unforgiveness (Acts 7:59-60)
6. Quitting (Rom 12:12)
7. Cheap substitutions (Eph 5:18)
On the other hand, the RIGHT way to respond to your trials which will result in VICTORY are as follows:
1. Thanksgiving (1 Thess 5:18)
2. Rejoicing (James 1:2)
3. Persevering/Endurance (Rom 5:3-5)
4. Worship (Job 1:20-22)
5. Forgiveness (Luke 23:34)
6. Seeing God's bigger picture (Rom 8:18)
7. Obedience (Heb 5:8)
Brothers and sisters, you may or may not know this but trials/suffering are part and parcel of the Christian life. No matter what you're going through right now (e.g., Joblessness, Divorce, Sickness., Etc) you MUST understand that TRIALS are what God uses to make us the kind of people that bring honor to His name, namely MATURE Christians. THEREFORE, we MUSTN'T run from trials BUT rather ENDURE them. Why? Because God glorifying Maturity (i.e. Divine Character building) can ONLY be reached through the patient endurance of trials. Christians who attempt to escape, mitigate or soften their trials, demonstrate spiritual immaturity which one writer states is the #1 problem in our churches.
People, NEVER FORGET THIS. "God always designs our trials/sufferings for our welfare ("good") even though it may not be pleasant ("Joyful") to endure". How you handle your trials will make you either BITTER or BETTER.
Peace
