11 Mar Romans 5:4 Refine Your Character #264

I am continuing my series in Romans with Romans 5:4 today. Romans 5:4 says, “And patient endurance will refine our character, and proven character leads us back to hope.”

If you didn’t read the prior posts I encourage you to do so before moving forward, especially verse 3, which you can read here. The last part of verse 3 mentions, “pressures will develop in us patient endurance.” And verse 4 says that the patient endurance that is developed after going through pressure will refine your character. Isn’t that the truth? The trials you are going through today will not only build in you patience, but it will refine your character too. If you want to look more like Christ, you need to consider every difficult situation you are in an opportunity to look more like him. It could be as something as small as a co-worker who gets on your nerves and it could be as big as a crisis in your marriage. No matter what it is, you can make the choice to seek the Father in it and when you do, your character will be refined.

What happens when you seek Christ in every situation? Well not only will you become more like him but you will receive hope too! The kind of hope referenced in this verse is way different then the hope of this world. It’s a Biblical hope that doesn’t waver or change. It won’t leave you disappointed. Even though it comes after facing trials, it will leave you expecting God to do something good, even if you are still in the middle of the hard season.

Romans 5:3-5 keeps reminding me of the spiritual muscles post I wrote several weeks back. If you want muscles, you are going to have to face resistance and if you want to look more like Christ, you will have to face trials. Instead of blowing the difficult circimstances off or allowing bitterness to take route, consider each hard situation an opportunity to refine your character and find true and lasting hope!

PS. If you are going through infertility, please head over to join a faith-based support group I founded, Moms in the Making!

PPS. Have you picked up a copy of my book? Buy In Due Time, a 60-day devotional for hope + encouragement in the waiting.

PPPS. I created a group on facebook as an extension of my book + blog to discuss anything + everything. Women only! Come join us!

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