Our StoryWritten by Paul Bernitt, DHH
It’s natural to desire peace and smooth paths in our daily lives, especially when we embark on our Christian journey. Truth be told, everyone experiences difficulty, but how we choose to respond to difficulty can make all the difference. We want a walk that feels easy, free of obstacles, and rich in blessings. But the truth is, God doesn’t call us to a life without challenge. He calls us to learn, grow, and adapt, and in my experience as a Pastor, these attributes rarely happen in comfort.
The Bible is filled with examples of how God uses adversity to refine His people. The Christian life is not about avoiding hardship but embracing it with faith, knowing that it serves a divine purpose to purge impurities deep within us all. In this issue of the Healthier You Newsletter, we reflect on how adversity produces spiritual maturity and strengthens our faith, drawing upon the wisdom of two key scriptures: Romans 5:3-5 and Proverbs 17:3.
Embracing Challenges: Romans 5:3-5
Romans 5:3-5 speaks directly to this truth:
“We also glory in our sufferings because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”
These verses highlight a powerful message: suffering is not something to fear but rather something to embrace with joy, knowing that you can and will improve the quality of your life. This seems counterintuitive at first. Why would we take joy in our trials? Yet, God’s purpose is clear — suffering leads to perseverance, which in turn builds character. And that character produces hope. Think of it this way: I can be happy based on the happenings of my life, but joy is not contingent on what is happening outside of me. Joy is purely based on the inner strength we can reveal, such as perseverance, character, and hope for a better outcome.
In the Christian walk, trials are not obstacles but opportunities to become more like Christ. The hardships we face are meant to drive our awareness of who we truly are in Christ, helping us to develop endurance, strength, and hope that rests on God’s unfailing love. Through these moments of adversity, we are reminded that our faith is not in our circumstances but in a God who works all things together for our good (Romans 8:28).
The Refining Process: Proverbs 17:3
Proverbs 17:3 gives us another profound insight for this refining process:
“The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the heart.”
Just as precious metals like silver and gold are refined by fire, so are our hearts tested and purified by God through our fiery trials. The crucible is a place of intense heat and pressure, but it’s necessary to remove impurities and bring out the true value of the metal.
Similarly, our hearts are refined in the furnace of life’s trials. While the refining process can be uncomfortable or even painful, it ultimately drives the impurities within us to the surface so they can be removed. This purifies and sanctifies our souls and makes us more like Christ. Imagine your potential as the dross—the impurities in your character—is removed as we go through the fire, allowing God’s nature to shine through us.
As a Pastor, I have seen the power of pain lead to tremendous breakthroughs. One time, a man was deeply hurt by someone he trusted. He carried that pain for a long time. I asked him, “Are you going to let sin have dominion over you?” He replied, “I didn’t commit a sin.” I then explained, “I am not saying you sinned; I am asking you if you are going to allow the sin against you to rob you of your joy, peace, and faith to overcome.” In the twinkling of an eye, this man saw how sin was robbing him of the life he deserved. His countenance changed, and he was set free that very moment.
Why God Allows Challenges
It’s common to wonder why a loving God would allow His children to face difficulties. If God loves us, shouldn’t He shield us from pain and suffering? But just as a loving parent allows their child to learn and grow through challenges, God allows us to face difficulties and challenges us to mature. The bottom line is that challenges challenge us to make us better, not bitter.
Consider this: a life without challenges would be a life without growth. God knows what we need to develop the fruits of the Spirit — love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Often, these qualities are best cultivated in the fertile ground of adversity. Through experiencing frustration, we learn patience, through conflict, we learn peace, and through trials, we develop faithfulness.
God uses the difficulties we face to reveal where our faith is weak and where we need to trust Him more. God promises us that He will never place on us more than we can bear and says that all things work together for our good. He promises He will never leave us or forsake us and is an ever-present help in time of need. As we lean on Him, our faith grows stronger, and we develop the endurance needed to finish the race He has set before us.
The Example of Christ
There is no greater example of perseverance in the face of adversity than Jesus Christ. His life was not one of ease or comfort but one marked by suffering, rejection, and, ultimately, the cross. Yet, in every trial, Jesus trusted His Father’s plan and remained steadfast in His mission. Jesus did not go through difficulty just for the sake of difficulty. He experienced it so He could overcome it and share His victory with us. You see, through Christ’s victory, we become partakers of His Divine nature to overcome.
Hebrews 12:2 tells us, “For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Jesus endured the greatest suffering because He knew the eternal glory that awaited Him. He saw beyond the pain to the purpose and trusted in God’s perfect plan to overcome difficulty and share His victory with us..
As followers of Christ, we are called to follow in His footsteps and carry our own cross. When we face trials, we can see them as defeat and be victimized, or we can turn our pain into meaningful purpose. We must never forget our great forerunner, Jesus, as our example and find strength in knowing that He has walked the path before us and is ordering our steps. We are not alone in our suffering, and we are not without hope. Just as Christ was raised in victory, we, too, can overcome through Him.
The Fruit of Adversity
As difficult as it may be to accept, adversity is one of the primary ways God works in our lives to produce lasting fruit. It’s through adversity that we are tested and refined. It’s through adversity that our faith is strengthened. And it’s through adversity that we are transformed into the image of Christ.
James 1:2-4 echoes this truth:
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that testing your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
God’s ultimate goal for us is not comfort but maturity. He wants us to be “complete, not lacking anything. ” He uses trials to reveal weaknesses so they can be overcome and we can reach our rightful place where we lack nothing. When we understand this, we can approach our challenges with a new perspective. Rather than seeing them as setbacks or punishments, we can see them as opportunities for growth and transformation.
Hope That Does Not Disappoint
In the end, the trials we face in this life are temporary. I assure you that 150 billion years from now, when you are in Heaven, you will not be thinking about all the difficulties you experienced in this life. Our hope is not in this world but in the eternal life, we have in Christ. Romans 5:5 reminds us that this hope “does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”
No matter what we face, we can hold onto the hope that God’s love is in us. This hope is not wishful thinking; it is a confident expectation rooted in God’s faithfulness. As His Temple, He is in us in every trial, and He will see us through to the other side as He orders our steps.
As Christians, we are called to walk the path of faith, not the path of least resistance. Much like a lack of gravity would make us weak, so too will a lack of resistance in life. We are called to embrace the challenges, knowing that they are part of God’s refining process to make us better and more effective in life. Ultimately, it’s not about avoiding adversity but about allowing God to use it to shape us into the people He has called us to be.
Conclusion: Walking in Strength
In your walk with God, remember that He is more concerned with your character than your comfort. He is not interested in making life easy but in making you strong. Much like the law of gravity keeps us strong, the challenges you face today are part of His plan to mold you into the person He created you to be. Just under all of the mess is a power yet to be revealed in you.
As you reflect on Romans 5:3-5 and Proverbs 17:3, take comfort in knowing that God is with and in you in every trial. He is refining you, strengthening you, and preparing you for the greater things He has in store. And as you walk through the fire, remember that your hope is not in the absence of trials but in the presence of a loving God who will never leave you or forsake you.
Let adversity be the crucible that strengthens your faith, shapes your character, and fills you with hope that does not disappoint. In this journey, God walks with you every step of the way.
