“…that you may walk worthy of the Lord, pleasing Him completely, fruitful in every good work, increasing in the knowledge of God, strengthened with all might according to the power of His glory, having all patience and perseverance with joy” (Colossians 1:10,11).
The beauty of strong inner character is seen most clearly in times of difficulty. Just as it is true that difficulty builds character, it is also true that difficulty demonstrates the character that has already been formed. And one of the most refreshing experiences in life is watching someone show unexpected dignity and strength in the face of pain, demonstrating more character than we ever thought possible. Most people are stronger than we think – and often even stronger than that They Think they are. Hardship gives us a glimpse of what people are really made of.
But how to define “difficulty”? It should be seen as any situation in which respect requires us to think, say, or do something that requires extra effort. When the right thing and the easy thing are not the same thing, “difficulty” is encountered. And looking at it this way, we can see that there are more difficulties in life than the obvious, such as pain, grief, and fear. In fact, comfortable circumstances present us with some of the toughest choices in life. Living in an age when it is easier than ever to have fun, we probably have to deal with difficulty more of a “positive” than “negative” nature. Dealing respectfully with prosperity requires as much character as it does with poverty, and there is much to be said for learning “how to go on” (Philippians 4:12). But whether facing the difficulties of prosperity or pain, our character is revealed by the choices we make between the easy and the honorable.
While interacting superficially with people, as we often do, we do not know what their real strengths of character may be. Perhaps we ourselves don’t even know about this. We may need some adverse experience to know how strong we are and how strong we want to be. Our desire should be to acquire such true strength of inner character that difficulty will not defeat us but will make us more decisive.
“People are like stained glass windows; they sparkle and shine when the sun comes out, but when darkness falls their true beauty is only revealed when lit from within” (Elisabeth Kubler-Ross).
Gary Henry – WordPoints.com AreYouaChristian.com
