“We can rejoice too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.” – Romans 5:3-4
Has God ever allowed something to come into your life that makes you instantly uncomfortable? Perhaps you were just living your best life, going through the motions, and everything was great. Your relationships were great, your job was great, your finances were great, and your personal life was great.
And out of nowhere, there is a wrench thrown in the middle that just seems to mess everything up. You now have a problem, and the worst part is, this is not a problem that is going to be solved quickly. Have you ever experienced a situation like this?
Sometimes, God will allow things to come into our lives that we may not like. We have spent the last week talking about “thorns” of the flesh. Paul had one that he begged God to remove. But God wouldn’t do it. Maybe you are wondering the same thing: when will God remove this problem, this thorn, from your life?
But what if God wants it there? Right now, you are caught up in God removing this problem when God wants you to embrace the problem. You say, “Pastor, why would I want to embrace the problem? Problems are meant to be solved and I need to figure this out ASAP.”
Romans 5:3-4 gives us insight into why we need to embrace these times in our life, “We can rejoice too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.”
Endurance. That is why God will allow you to be uncomfortable for an extended period of time, because it develops your endurance in difficult situations. See, time teaches us lessons that otherwise can’t be learned. Think about it. If you feel a brief moment of discomfort, and you ask God to get you out, and He does, you don’t really remember that situation for very long because it wasn’t memorable. It wasn’t impactful.
But when God leaves you in the situation, in the discomfort, it stays with you a lot longer. Right now, God is saying, “No, I’m not removing you from this because you need to learn to endure it.” When you learn to endure your circumstances, then you can begin to grow. And that is God’s ultimate purpose for your life!