Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. (Romans 5:3-4, NIV)
Golf can feel like a game of seemingly unlucky breaks. A great drive ends up in a fairway divot. A good chip trampolines off a sprinkler head and through the back of the green. Putts defy both gravity and geometry on dreaded 360-degree lip outs.
Life can also throw some bogeys at you, some of which I’ve experienced recently. First, there was the GrubHub driver “delivering” our order late and to the wrong address. I use air quotes because we were sent a picture of the food at our neighbor’s house, yet neither they nor we could find it.
Then there was the unnamed airline that rhymes with “mouth nest” that broke my new driver on my flight to this spring’s Links Players staff retreat. You can imagine my surprise on the range when I pulled the cover off my driver and the head remained in it while the shaft stayed in the bag. Argh.
The capper was my ride home after dropping off a car at Avis. When I got into Uber, I immediately sensed something was off. Maybe the driver’s reclined seat was so far back that it felt like he was riding in the back seat with me.
Or maybe he was treating my “How’s it going?” as an invitation to fire off his list of what’s not right in his life. The confirmation was when he was pulled over and subsequently arrested for having an outstanding warrant. This was new for me, as I had never started an Uber ride in a civilian vehicle and finished it in a cop car. True story.
Inconvenient? Yes, but not what Jesus was referring to when he said, “In this world, you will have trouble” (John 16:33). To keep things in perspective, all I have to do is look at my wife, Susan, who deals with the complications of cancer daily.
Oncologists have a plan for ridding her body of cancerous cells, but unforeseen side effects and setbacks stall progress. Much like healing from cancer, today’s verse is not a linear progression. Don’t be discouraged if your chart shows some downturns.
“Suffering produces perseverance.” Sure, the end result may be perseverance, but it doesn’t come without tears, fears, doubts, and what about.
“Perseverance, character.” Character does not develop on its own; it requires effort on our part. As we continue jousting with this journey, Susan and I have learned to “set our minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Colossians 3:2).
“Character, hope.” The road to hope can be littered with detours of doubt, but time in the Word can help you reach your destination.
I’m happy to share my struggles with others as an encouragement, but when people ask me for wisdom, I direct them to the half-brother of Jesus.
“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind” (James 1:5-6).
Prayer: Lord, life is difficult, and we are not meant to travel alone. Help us help others and give us the wisdom to seek wisdom from you.