Challenges bring growth
Posted on June 19, 2023 by Jeremy Ballard, One of Thousands of Leadership Coaches on Noomii.
Romans 5:3-5 talks about the process and importance of spiritual growth.
Spiritual growth, or any grow as a matter of fact, is a process. It is not an easy process. Anything easy is not worth doing. Spiritual growth is also hard, it takes time and is not a quick and easy transformation. It is a lifelong transformation that will improve over time if the effort is given, but perfection cannot be achieved until we are in the presence of God.
Roman 5:3-5 reads, “And not only this, but we also celebrate in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
Trials, tribulations, and challenges will bring about positive change if we allow the changes to make us better, not bitter. It takes perseverance in the hard times to bring us to the next stage of growth. It does not happen overnight, perseverance requires time to prove that your character has integrity. Sometimes, this is where I even struggle. I have been praying for a few things that I truly believe God wants to give me, but He also wants me to wait. It is hard to be patient when you are anxiously waiting for the answer. I have been praying for two specific requests for several years, but God keeps telling me to wait. Honestly, there are times when I get frustrated and even discouraged because God keeps asking me to wait. However, I cannot lose my perseverance if I want a proven character. Challenges bring growth.
Once a proven character is establish, you must continue to grow to bring about hope. This is not, “Oh, I hope this happens…” This hope means faith in God. It is to trust that God is sovereign and trustworthy. Deep down, I truly believe God wants to grant my prayer request that I’ve been praying for for years, but God also wants to know that I trust Him implicitly. So, having to wait for several years reveals my proven character and hope in Him.
How long did Abraham have to wait for the promised son? 25 years! So, these two requests that I’ve been praying for for the last 7-8 years cannot compare to Abraham’s waiting for 25 years. I believe my long waiting time will only make the answer that much greater. I can only imagine how rewarding it will be when God finally responds positively with my request.
But now let’s take this one step further. If God never answers my request, do I trust Him so much that I will still love and respect Him as God? I certainly hope so! I want to trust God completely because God has a proven track record to be faithful in give us the very best. So, if God decides not to respond to my request in the way I want then I must trust that God has a better plan because He truly loves me.
Challenges will bring about growth if we allow it, but we must remain positive and not lose faith in the hard times. We must trust that God loves us unconditionally and is always working things out for our good (Romans 8:28).
