Testing to Failure for Building Strong

Can we endure? Can we persevere? These and other questions run through the minds and hearts of many folks when they experience difficult times. The Bible teaches us in Romans 5:3-4 that “we can rejoice… when we run into problems and trials, for we know they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment.” This passage can be explained another way. In civil engineering, before computer-aided design programs, scale models of structures were built and tested until they failed. For example, bridge engineers would build a model, send it through a battery of tests until it failed, and then redesign to be stronger based on the results of the tests. Think of God as your engineer, the One who designed you, tests you, and then builds you stronger to endure life’s difficulties. Just as a bridge engineer tests until failure occurs, so our Lord does with us. As the passage in Romans explains, we can choose to rejoice when we experience failure, knowing that God is at work. It’s a continuous process that definitely causes some pain and sorrow, but take heart because God is faithful to see us through those trials. When we begin to see the Master at work through our failures, we can begin to see how hope is a wonderful result of us trusting Him to see us through. Can we endure? Can we persevere? Yes!