Tribulations

Last night before Madelene and I retired for the evening, there was an interesting show on TV. We didn’t intentionally put it on, but while Madelene was brushing her teeth and getting ready for bed, I started watching this show of a female pastor talking and translating Latin literature from the Bible. Her name is Melissa Scott. Her website reads: "A natural linguist with command of twenty languages, she digs deeply into her vast collection of ancient manuscripts to find and communicate the purest understanding of what the original inspired writers of the Bible had to say."

Her teaching methods would have kept me a student forever. She is so fascinating. In any event, she was explaining and translating ancient Latin literature from the Bible regarding tribulations in life. The root to tribulations or comparison in the Hebrew dictionary is “tsanaph" - to violently turn. Main definition is “to suffer” - to cause great affliction and to test one’s endurance. What do Christians receive in order to be more Christ-like?  Suffering. We are challenged every day of our lives because we are to come out strong.  Our true character shows when we are tested in our weakest state-of-minds.

A quote I’ll never forget that Madelene brought up one day is, “If you can’t handle me at my worst, then you don’t deserve my best.” I don’t know the original author of that quote, but it makes sense. We are pressed on every side sometimes and at our weakest points, our true character shows through. That’s why I believe the truth will always seep out, whether somebody tries to attack you with malicious words, lies and deceptions with hurtful intentions. The closest people in our lives - the ones we think who love us the most, can be the very ones that take us down, or try to.  It’s more effective when “love” is in the mix, because there is such a fine line between love and hate. But true love will always prevail - always accepting and expecting to take on the trials of anything to come in its way. True love is unfailing love - like Christ’s love. Love is patient. 1 Corinth. 13:4

Life isn’t supposed to be lived in a constant peaceful flow. What good would things be if we didn’t work for it or didn't go through trials for it? It would simply bore us. On the complete opposite spectrum, this is also why I think there are people who are drama queens and amplify things to the maximum. They want more of a challenge; creating drama beyond compare and when they finally receive the one thing they wanted out of the drama that they have caused, they have finally realized that it wasn’t worth the trouble.

Trials and tribulations are good for us.

“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us--they help us to learn and endure. And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation. And this expectation will not disappoint us. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” ~Romans 5:35

I guess the whole point of this post is, we should try to be grateful for the challenges we are facing today, because tomorrow we’ll be stronger for it.