Character
“Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Romans 5:3-4
Athletes are accustomed to suffering through gruesome practices, training programs and fitness tests. Pushing through mental and physical barriers in order to reach new levels of fitness and performance is the key to improvement on the field, court or track. Athletes understand the benefits that they will receive from temporary discomfort. Good students, employees, doctors and other professionals understand the same concept. That hard work and discomfort exerted now will be well worth it when they receive excellent grades, the promotion they worked so hard for or the ability to execute an extremely challenging medical procedure.
Suffering in our lives is a hard subject to handle but there is a lesson to be learned from the verse above when it comes to personal struggles. In the English Standard Version text, the passage reads “proven character” at the end of verse four. Just like in athletics, if you have proven yourself through performance and training then your athleticism is genuine and authentic. In our lives, struggles and hardships reveal proven character. That character is genuine and authentic. This week let us reflect upon the hardships in our lives and our response. Let the verse above be a great reminder throughout this week that when we experience trials we have the opportunity to show proven character. Through character we find hope in the promises given to us in God’s word.
Thanks for reading this week and may God bless your week and enrich your lives.
- Matt
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