Gifts of Tribulation
“And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” –Romans 5:3-5
The last thing that goes through our mind when we hit a snag in the road is that God is trying to give us hope from this. But we have reason to welcome adversity in our lives because of the benefits we will reap if we give our troubles to God.
He wants all of His children to have what we need to succeed in life. But it’s like what I’ve heard an old preacher say sarcastically; “never pray for patience, because you can expect to have that patience tried.” Because patience, like everything else in life, is a learned virtue. One gains patience by repeatedly overcoming hardships. Each one makes you more prepared for the next.
When you can routinely remain patient through tough times, you gain a better understanding and wisdom to handle these problems. That’s all that experience is; it is the ability to not become overwhelmed and panicked in situations that you have been through. Just calm down, know that God is on your side and deal with it.
And through this, we can have hope that one day, all of these problems and issues will be no more. The Christian can always have hope, because there is only one way the story ends for us; we spend eternity in Heaven with our Lord and Savior. After all of the struggling this life has to offer, we will one day hear those words, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”
Now look at all of the things God has gifted us, when this started out as tribulation in our lives. With all of these tools now at our disposal, we have everything we need to carry out God’s plan for our lives. We never need to be ashamed of who holds our soul. –By Cory Farr
Cory attended University of Mary Hardin-Baylor with a major in Mass Communications. He has a passion for the scripture and all things sports. While at church camp as a teenager, Cory made the decision to eventually attend a Biblical college in an effort to stay focused on his relationship with our Heavenly Father at a time when temptation can be at its strongest. He found his chance to follow through with that commitment when he was offered the chance to pitch for the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor’s baseball team. There he spent his college career attending Bible classes, writing a column for Climbing Tal’s Hill, and breaking a record or two as a pitcher for the Crusaders. Cory is a member of Lakeway Baptist Church in Humble, Texas, where he serves as an AWANA leader and usher, and where he ministers to the community through a sports program that combines basketball and Bible study.- Bio by Cristin Baker
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346
