Do you work out with weights in the gym, and struggle through the last repetition? Ever played organized sports, and had to do drills? Extra running? Sprints? Or in school did you do the same type of math problem over and over?

Why do we do these things that we don’t necessarily enjoy? We do them to improve ourselves so we perform better in the future.

Have you ever thought that God allows us to struggle and suffer some things in life to make us stronger Christians?

The Apostle Paul writes in Romans 5:3 “…we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces character”

We need to look at our struggles and suffering, not as the permanent result God has intended for us, but as an exercise that can make us stronger and more reliant on God in the future.

Dear Lord, we know You love us and know the struggles and suffering we face. Help us endure our sufferings with the knowledge that if we handle them with faith in You, they will help us become stronger and more capable Christians. In Jesus name we pray. Amen