Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word. Thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes. The proud have forged a lie against me: but I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart. Their heart is as fat as grease; but I delight in thy law. It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.
Psalm 119:67-71
The kind of problems that come into our lives do not determine the effect that they have on us. Trials, hardship, sickness, suffering can drive us away from God. But if we respond to them correctly, they can instead be a source of great growth and development in our lives. “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing” (James 1:2-4).
Many of us remember our children going through growing pains. The rapid development of the body can be a painful process. The same is true in our spiritual lives. The process of growth is good and necessary, but it is seldom accomplished with ease. Instead, as we learn to depend on God and trust His Word more, we become stronger Christians, better able to serve and glorify God.
A. W. Tozer wrote, “What then are we to do about our problems? We must learn to live with them until such time as God delivers us from them. We must pray for grace to endure them without murmuring. Problems patiently endured will work for our spiritual perfecting. They harm us only when we resist them or endure them unwillingly.” If we refuse to respond correctly to trouble and allow it to drive a wedge between us and God, the trials will be wasted. Rather than complaining because things go wrong, we should look for lessons God is trying to teach us and rely on His grace to make it through.
