Perseverance
Not only so, but let us also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character, and character, hope. Romans 5:3
I don’t know why as Christians we almost always associate “hard” with bad and “easy” with good. Because in God’s world that is definitely not the case. I’m sure that you would agree with me, as you take time to look at your life, that most of the time when we go through hard times…times of suffering…if we surrender it to God…it never ends up being bad. Just because something is hard does not mean it has to be bad! And when I look at my life and think that things are going pretty easy for me…I’d better watch out…because it seems not much “good” comes from those times of easy. So, just because something is easy does not mean it is good!
The past two years for me have been “hard”. And in the beginning of my grief after losing Rick I would have been quick to say that the “hardness” of grief was bad. I could not see much good coming from my times of loneliness, crying, anger, sadness, longings, questioning, and fears. But, God’s Word is truth and when I hold it up against my grief, I can see very clearly that what seems hard and bad, in God’s economy is actually very, very GOOD. And not just any kind of good. But good for ME.
God says that suffering produces something in us. And that through the suffering and perseverance I grow up in character and then a wonderful things happens. I am filled with HOPE. And hope is a beautiful thing. I am discovering that as I persevere in this life, I am growing in ways that I never would have grown had this “Hard” not come to me. It is not something that I would have chosen and it more difficult than I ever imagined it would be. But, I am finding that God is faithful to His word when I fight to be faithful to Him.
So for those that are in a hard place right now. For those that are suffering in any way…please persevere. Please stay in there with God. Hold tight to Him…don’t let go of Him. He wants you and I to see that the hard can actually be good…it can even be the best. God knows what He’s doing and His ways are perfect. Suffering + perseverance + character = hope.
We will each go to the place of suffering in this life…it’s a given. And we will most likely think that it is hard and bad in the beginning. But, please don’t stop with God…PERSEVERE! Somehow looking back and seeing how I have persevered, gives me the courage to continue. Remembering His faithfulness and my utter dependence on Him to be able to persevere helps me know that as the “hard” continues, He is still right here holding me up…as I hold on for dear life… to Him.
Sending Much Love,
Debbie
