“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us – they help us learn to endure.”

When I am in an airport airline lounge I love to listen the conversations happening around me. At the root, they are all the same. They are business people all trying to fix some type of problem. It can be a problem with their travel, a problem with a deal, a problem with an employee, or a problem with a customer. It can be any type of problem and they are working as hard as they can to fix it and make it go away. This is one of the fundamentals of work. We fix problems. But, problems can be weighty and disheartening and they can create stress that leads to other problems. All of the emotions that come from problems and our need to resolve them can be managed. The problems will still be there but our emotions and reactions to problems are ours to control and create. The answer is all in our outlook and how we look at the problems when they come to our doorstep. We get a choice each and every time. We can either let them take over us or we can take over them.

In Romans 5:3 Paul says; “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us – they help us learn to endure.” He goes on in verse 4 with; “And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectations of salvation.” I love those two verses because in them we learn that in those problems, way down deep, are the beginnings of the reminder to us of what our God has sacrificed for us to that we can receive His salvation. So, today, each and every problem can be looked at as happy problems because if we remember these problems that seem so hard to overcome are just the first steps of what is the ultimate expectation! Hard to do, yes. But, that is the strength that God wants us build each and every day, starting today!

Reference: Romans 3:3-4 (New Living Translation)