We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. --Romans 5:3-4
Simply put, character is the nature of a person. As His ambassadors, God wants us to have a Christ-like character and He wants to develop this in us. In the same way that the trials we face reveal our character based on how we respond, God uses the trials we face to teach us to rely more on Him. We could choose to go our own way, in which case our trials won't refine our character at all. But if we take our sufferings as proof that we simply cannot thrive without God's help, then we learn to persevere through the pain and trust God with every aspect of our lives.
Our sufferings are where the human meets the divine and our character is the result of what happens in this interaction. Pain and suffering is part of the human experience; the divine part of the equation is God's grace and power, both of which He is waiting to pour into our lives. Our character develops when we choose either to trust Him or to turn from Him--when we choose to take His usually longer and rougher road or when we seek the easy way out of our suffering. God wants to bless us, but He also wants to refine us. Through our suffering, He can ultimately do both, and we will find this truth in the character He develops in us during our pain.
Posted by Kim at February 21, 2007 08:09 AM