Sometimes we can become discouraged with our faith-walk as Christians.
We ask ourselves,
Why does this character trait keep getting in the way, persistently causing me grief?
Why do these difficulties in life keep building blockades, seemingly withholding from me the joy I could have?
Why are there so many high mountains of difficulty and deep rivers of discouragement crossing my life-path?
What we don't realize is very profound. So profound in fact, that if we realized it the enemy of our souls would flinch and back away. It gives us a power over evil and redefines our perspective so that that our attitudes change accordingly.
It is this:
"The very things you as a Christian now rebel against (in character and life) are the instruments God has used to perfect the character and to mold it into beauty and perfectness."
Imagine! It is the very things that we count as difficulties, roadblocks, and trials that build our characters and shape us into true, well-rounded, deep and thoughtful, God-centred Christians.
Through these difficulties and trials, lessons are learned, and as we overcome them through God's grace, we build character. Beautiful character that has gone through much and become purified just like the gold purified in the fire. It will be these spiritual trials that make us God-centered individuals, that shape our lives into beautiful masterpieces. We will then shine forth into the dark world, as we reflect and mirror our Saviour.
If our life is smooth with neither a bend or blockade, we will become spiritually weak as soldiers of Christ. But as we go through trials and come out victorious, we will see where God has led and become strong spiritually to meet the attacks with "Thus Saith the Lord", just as Jesus did so long ago.
When we look back, we will be immensely thankful for each trial that we crossed, every river forded and every mountain climbed. Because through each one we were brought closer to God and closer to Heaven.