“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” — 1 Peter 5:10
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As athletes, we purposely endure difficult and painful workouts to reach our athletic goals. We have all heard it said, “No pain, no gain.” Similarly, if we want to reach the goal of becoming more like Christ, we must endure difficulties. Often, we have little or no control over the adversity we face. However, what we do have control over is how we respond, and that flows from our perspective on adversity.
In the Old Testament, Joseph was a man who suffered multiple adversities due to no fault of his own, but his response serves as an example for us. He realized God would ultimately use his troubles for good (Genesis 50:20). This perspective enabled him to honor God and thrive in the midst of them.
The Book of 1 Peter also reveals some of the good God will bring about as we trust Him through our difficulties. He uses our trials to identify and weed out flaws in our lives and prepare us to serve Him better. He uses our hardships to solidify Godly character in our lives so that nothing will shake us. He strengthens and increases our faith during difficult times so that we will be able to overcome future adversity. He uses suffering to establish a firm foundation in our relationship with Him.
As we trust Jesus while navigating adversity, we are able, like Joseph, to say in the end that what may have appeared devastating at the time, God used for good.
— Karen Zando, Orlando Pride team chaplain
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