Romans 5:3-5 :

Not only this, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering works perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope: and hope doesn’t disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

I have heard many people in my life who didn’t believe in God tell me that they wanted to “find themselves.” The problem with finding ones self is that once we do, will we actually like what we see?

There is an unavoidable way that a Christian finds not only himself but the love of God in this world and Paul tells us here that it is through the gateway of suffering. The world has nothing good to say about suffering, but for a Christian, suffering isn’t a bad ending, but a good start.

Finding out the truth about who we have become and what God is like is not an easy process, in fact, it’s painful. First we suffer and then we find the strength from God
to live through it somehow. In doing that we gain good character and that is pretty awesome to us because it shows us that we are no longer the same person we were before God changed us. I have found that in the suffering in my life that the Holy Spirit causes me to have an unnatural hope in God. This hope is satisfied in my heart as God demonstrates his love personally to me in my trouble.

I have to confess that I have much to learn in this area, but I have experienced the joy of God’s salvation in my troubles.