How should I learn and grow from my problems? - Problems - TouchPoints

Psalm 107:43Those who are wise will take all this to heart; they will see in our history the faithful love of the Lord.

Lamentations 3:19-26The thought of my suffering and homelessness is bitter beyond words. I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord.

The more we see God at work in our problems, the more we learn about his faithful, loving character. The more we learn about what God does, the more we will want to learn about who he is. We should never let the suddenness or severity of a problem make us forget God’s past faithfulness to us.

Romans 5:3-4We 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.

James 1:2-4, 12When troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. . . . God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

The more often we endure life’s problems, the more we will see our character strengthened. The more we become the kind of person God desires, the more we can do the kind of work God desires.

2 Corinthians 6:3-10We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fault with our ministry. . . . We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind. . . . We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere love. We faithfully preach the truth. God’s power is working in us. . . . We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. . . . Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything.

The more we endure life’s problems, the more we learn what is most important in life. The more we realize what is most important, the more we will put the right things first.

2 Corinthians 1:8-10We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us.

Philippians 4:4, 12-13Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! . . . I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

The more we endure life’s problems with God’s help, the more we see God as the source of our strength. The more we realize God is the source of our strength, the more we will rely on him to see us through all of life’s problems. And as we grow in our faith, others will benefit from what we have learned.