Soldiers that haven’t been to battle do not know how they are going to perform when they are called to duty. The truly great soldiers grew through a continuous cycle of training and action and reflection (They call it debriefing.)
Being challenged is part of life. How we respond is where we grow.
We can go to Romans 5:1-11 for comfort when we face trials and sufferings. Any one of us should be able to look into the past and see how something challenging we had to work through became an experience that was for our own good. We might have even been able to use an experience to help others get through difficult times. That is what Paul was shooting for in this passage – a cycle of growth despite adversity:
Hope – trial – patience – character – hope
When I look at the daily challenges I face and the hurt I feel when I see people disparage Christians, This idea helps me understand what Jesus meant when he said
Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account – Matthew 5:11
That word blessed? That means happy or fortunate in a prolonged sense (ref. Strong’s G1307.) This give me a better sense of why the apostles were rejoicing for being persecuted in Acts 5:41.
I’m not suggesting we look for trouble for this purpose – I’m sure that anyone working on getting to heaven will find plenty, but I am suggesting that we remember to stay calm and try to understand how we will be better for it.
- We will have suggestions for others
- We will know what solution works (or doesn’t)
- We will grow more mature in the Lord
And most importantly, we will know what we can take when put to the test.
Daily Bible reading for October 11
Psalm 71
1 Kings 6
Ezekiel 33
Romans 5:1-11
October 11, 2013
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