Suffering Builds Character, But How?
“Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope. . . ” Romans 5: 3, 4.
How Does Suffering Produce Character?
This passage tells us the apostle Paul and his companions rejoiced in their suffering because it builds character. And it does this by producing endurance first.
Character is not merely doing what’s right. It’s enduring in doing what’s right. Character is the ability to do what’s right in spite of all sorts of hindrances and obstacles, tests and trials, pain and suffering.
To read the passage for context, click here.
A person with character is someone who does what’s right, even when he doesn’t want to. Even when it involves sacrifice. Even when it doesn’t seem to do any good.
The Key to Character
The key to character is endurance. A person with character does what’s right all the time in every circumstance. Whether it’s convenient or inconvenient, profitable or unprofitable, easy or difficult.
And the good news is life presents us with all kinds of opportunities to learn this. I believe that’s precisely why it’s full of ups and downs, trials and difficulties.
But as we attain character, our life will have fewer ups and downs, fewer trials and fewer difficulties. That’s because very often the reason our life is fraught with so many trials is because of the foolish decisions and poor choices we make.
Why Suffering Is What We Need
And the trials we experience as a result are exactly what we need to be delivered of that foolishness and immaturity. So, as we gain character, we make wiser decisions and better choices. And these make our life easier and less painful.
We no longer need the trials and difficulties we did when we were immature because we’ve learned to endure in righteousness in spite of them.
We’ve gained character.
Even if life doesn’t get easier as we gain character, we gain the strength or endurance to handle it. We adapt so it doesn’t feel stressful or difficult.
To read another post related Suffering Builds Character, But How? to see Why We Should Get Rid of Sin at Any Cost.