What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger
“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.” Romans 5:3-4
Did you know that you need adversity? You need storms. As a matter of fact, in 1993 in Arizona, some scientists did a study on building a bubble world. They created their own eco-system. It had a desert, an ocean, and a rainforest. And for three years, they lived inside of this protected environment. They recreated everything and lived off of the land. No one came in. No one came out. They re-created, so to speak, a perfect world. But they eventually found out something in that experiment. The trees started to break when they got to be a certain height. And they determined this was happening because there were never any storms or strong winds. If trees don’t experience storms and strong winds, they cannot grow up to reach their full capacity! Could it be that we need our adversities? Could it be that sometimes, before God can do anything great in your life, He has first to take you to a low place before He takes you to a high place?
Your friends will be used to comfort you, but your enemies will be used to bless you. Nobody would have ever heard of David had he not encountered an enemy named Goliath! He would have never been one of the greatest kings the world has ever known had he not faced that obstacle. And he would not have had the confidence to face Goliath had it not been for the bear and lion attacks that he endured. People and circumstances that come against you are just opportunities for you to grow stronger, wiser, and more like Jesus.
God knew Joseph would have never been ready to lead a kingdom without facing attacks from those closest to him. His character was formed in every false accusation and bad circumstance because he learned how to rely on God. Through those hardships, Joseph learned that he could deal with anything with God. So when he was faced with feeding a starving nation, he had the wisdom and surety that he could do it with God.
Someone once asked a rodeo competitor if he prayed when he got on a bull. The bull rider said, “Yes, I pray they will give me the meanest bull.” The interviewer asked, “Why in the world would you pray that?” And he replied, “Because the meaner the bull, the more opportunities for points, so there’s a greater chance I will win the rodeo if I get one of those.” The “negative” thing in your life may be the very vehicle that takes you to the next level. Don’t fear hard things. Hard things make you stronger and prepare you for the great things God has planned for your life.
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