These trials are only to test your faith to show that it is strong and pure. I Peter 1:7, NIV
After a long and valiant health battle, we laid my brother-in-law to rest last week. As his friends and family members shared their tributes, I kept hearing over and over that despite his health problems, he never complained. In fact, he encouraged others when they came to encourage him.
That spoke volumes to me about his character.
What is character? It is how we act not in the light, but in the dark. How we act when we find ourselves in the darkness of health problems, job problems, marital problems, financial problems, or family problems.
.
For example,
Job demonstrated great character while in the dark after losing everything. Rather than disowning God as his wife encouraged him to do, he said these words: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” (Job 1:21, NIV
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego demonstrated great character while in the dark, for when they were asked to worship an image of gold or face being thrown into a fiery furnace, they shared these words: “If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O King. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up (Daniel 3:17-18 NIV).
Jesus demonstrated great character while in the dark, for when he hung dying on a cross, rather than asking a legion of angels to come and deliver him to prove to others he was the King of the Jews, He shared these words: “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands.” (Luke 23:46, NIV.)
Are you in the midst of a difficult situation in your life today? May others find your character, like my brother-in-law demonstrated and these other great people of faith, the same in the dark as well as in the light.
Sharing the Word,
Jeaninne
