Justin Jamaul

Romans 5:3 says, “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, character, and hope.” Sometimes when we are in a rut and it seems like life is weighing heavy on our shoulders, we can get discouraged. It’s so easy to play the blame game with life and say, “Well, if this or that didn’t happen, I would be in a better position.” That is not the attitude to have in those circumstances. Do not allow life’s circumstances to make you become bitter and hateful or have anger in your heart. Instead, take those lessons as opportunities to be grateful for life and another change to get better. Like the scripture says, suffering produces perseverance, character, and hope. Perseverance means to persist in spite of difficulty. Perseverance builds character and strengthens your will power. There was once a young boy in foster care that was abused by his foster parents, both mentally and physically. His foster parents told him that he would never amount to anything in life. They called him dumb and stupid. They did everything in their power to break his will power. They wanted his mind to be in bondage as theirs was. Not only was he enduring mental and physical abuse, but his older step-sister was sexually abusing him. All those odds were stacked against him. He was in the valley and there seemed to be no way out.

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