God has a purpose behind every problem. Problems force us to look to God and depend on him instead of ourselves.  God uses problems to draw you closer to himself and to develop our character. We learn things about God in suffering that we can't learn any other way. It is during suffering that we learn to pray our most authentic, heartfelt, honest-to-God prayers.

Our hope in difficult times is based on the truths that God is in complete control and loves us. Your life is not a result of random chance, fate, or luck. God's plan for your life involves all that happens to you.

Everything that happens to you has spiritual significance.
God's plan for your life involves all that happens to you. This promise is only for God's children, not for everyone.

Since God intends to make you like Jesus, he will take you through the same experiences Jesus went through. That includes loneliness, temptation, stress, criticism, rejection, and many other problems. The Bible says Jesus "learned obedience through suffering" and "was made perfect through suffering." Why would God exempt us from what he allowed his own Son to experience?

You have to respond the way Jesus would.
It is vital that you stay focused on God's plan, not your pain or problem. God is doing what is best for us, training us to live God's holy best. What happens outwardly in your life is not as important as what happens inside you. If you look at Christ, you'll be at rest!

Rejoice and give thanks.
The Bible tells us to “give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus”. God doesn't expect you to be thankful for evil, for sin, or for suffering. Instead, God wants you to thank him that he will use your problems to fulfill His purposes.

Refuse to give up.
Character building is a slow process. Be patient and persistent. You know you are maturing when you begin to see the hand of God in the circumstances of life. Don't give up: grow up!

Question to Consider:

What problem in my life has caused the greatest growth in me?

Verse to Remember:

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 

Romans  8:28