Hardship, Trials And Pain Are An Education In Patient Endurance

".... We glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope." Rom.5:3-4 

The word "tribulations" here is the Greek word "thlipsis" meaning the "pressure of afflictions" and speaks of hardships, trials, pain and loss. So these are the elements God uses to build "patience" in the Christian. This word, "patience" is the Greek word "hupomone" and means "patient endurance" or "perseverance".

The building of stronger muscles requires exposure to the pain of stretching and exercising those muscles. The building of greater knowledge requires the hard work of exposure of our minds to information. The building of patient endurance and lasting perseverance requires exposure to hardship, trials and afflictions. As God's word says, "Tribulation works patient endurance".

Impatience is a sure indication that this person hasn't been exposed to enough trials, tribulations, stress, pain and hardship. Those are the builders of patience.

When you go through those great difficulties and do not allow yourself to be changed for the better, to become more patient and able to endure, you have wasted the opportunity to grow into a more mature, balanced person. And that is a double tragedy, a double loss. You suffered ... but you didn't grow more Christlike.

If you are going through hard times of some kind, you will surely have even greater trials ahead and God is wanting to help you prepare for them. Lesser trials are like an inoculation of a weakened microbic disease bacterium which gives you a mild case of the disease to build up your immunity resistance to a full blown case of it.

"My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her  perfect work, that ye may be perfect (whole) and entire, wanting nothing." James 1:2-4. Suffering is always allowed of God and is an essential means of spiritual growth.

"Take .... the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience (endurance) of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy." James 5:10-11. He allowed Job to be tested severely and brought him through it a better man.

"That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness." Col.1:10-11. Why? Because endurance keeps us walking the path of God's will and pleases Him.

"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us," Heb.12:1
Seeing the example set by our Lord and his prophets and disciples, let us lay aside heavy burdens and distractions and grow in faith and endurance that we might run life's race and never give up or quit God's calling.