May integrity and honesty protect me, for I put my hope in you. - Psalm 25:21
My husband and I live in a forest teeming with trees. On a calm day, our trees can look strong, robust and thriving. But when the storms come and the winds blow, the trees whose roots aren't secure enough will tumble to the ground. And those whose limbs are rigid and brittle will break into pieces. We’ve watched this happen over the many years we’ve lived on this land.
Like the trees in our woods, the same principle is true of people. A person's character can't fully be seen in calm and comfortable settings. Deep character is revealed when adversity comes, when trials roll in and difficulties arise. Stress and affliction force what is deep inside to surface. When that happens, what’s been sown into our character over time is revealed. Pressure exposes patience or anger. Loss exposes gratitude or bitterness. Failure exposes humility or ego.
Certainly no one welcomes adversity. But we all face struggles from time to time. If we’re well-rooted in Jesus, if we’ve cultivated a relationship with Him and are practicing His teachings, we’ll exhibit the fruit of that relationship even in our darkest moments.
ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS
Pretense and facades are not part of the Christian walk. God offers each of us an authentic loving relationship with Him through His Son where our trust is secure, our hope is rooted deeply and our character continues to mature. When we allow God’s Spirit to work in us, we can be confident that our character is growing stronger and more resilient. This is the training we need for the trials to come.