Adversity Builds Character

By: Joanne Viola

The past week has been a time of disappointments, delays, and setbacks for so many. As I have sat and thought about the different situations, the challenges that lay before and the days ahead, I realize this – I have no answer. No solution. No remedy. Nothing.

All of the events which are occurring are out of our control. The only solution we have is to trust God.

If we ourselves are not in a time of struggle, or trial, someone we know surely is. That’s how life is. Some of our struggles are harder than others. Some last long, while others are over in the blink of an eye.

The other day, I uttered the words, “This, too, shall pass.” They no sooner were said than I realized the truth I had just spoken.

Disappointment, struggles, difficulties, or hardship. Call it what you may, they come and they go. Most often what we thought was going to kill us, doesn’t. Often we hardly remember them as clearly as we once thought we would.

In looking back we come to realize – God used those circumstances in our lives to grow us up. To mature us a bit.

In her book, Made to Move Mountains, Kristen Welch shares:

“When we are facing down a giant mountain, it’s often all we can see. It fills our vision and our senses, and it overpowers our thoughts. Mountains can consume us and can often skew our perspective. It’s easy to lose our outlook because we can’t see what’s in front of us.” (page 55)

We can lift our eyes, broaden our view, and see things a bit differently. As we do, we will gain perspective, perseverance, faith, and develop character. We will find there is purpose in it all – perhaps not immediately, but at some point in time.

“He [God] comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer.”
(2 Corinthians 1:4-6, NLT)

Adversity. As much as we don’t like it and try to avoid it, it does a work of building character in us. For this may we be grateful, let it do its complete work in us, and come alongside those who need comfort and encouragement.

Image by Jacquelynne Kosmicki from Pixabay