Perspectives, Words of Endurance
Growing Through Adversity
As you endure this divine discipline,
remember that God is treating you as his own children.
For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years,
doing the best they knew how.
But God’s discipline is always good for us,
so that we might share in his holiness.
HEBREWS 12:7,10 (NLT)
Hardships do not come into our lives to make us spiritually feeble, weak, lame and disabled. Such a thing is possible only if we allow it to happen. If we will choose instead to consider hardships as God’s discipline and then allow the difficulties of life to build into us the heavenly trio of holiness, righteousness and peace, we will watch ourselves grow from adolescence into spiritual maturity.
In my own growth it was important for me to understand that hardship was to be a part of my life, because so many had told me that God did not intend for me to suffer. It was important for me to look at God as my Father, training me and disciplining me because He loved me, just as my earthly parents had.
My parents had begun the job of disciplining me, but because they, too, were imperfect, the job of preparing me for maturity was incomplete. God will continue to train me where my earthly parents left off, and He has chosen to use hardship as one of His primary tools.
ON THE JOURNEY WITH YOU,
DAVE DRAVECKY
