Shuffling through some papers the other day, I came across an old lesson request titled, “Can a Hard Time Produce a Better Person?” That can happen on a daily basis, I thought. Well, at least hard times can happen daily. Also, it reminded me of an aphorism that has been around forever— “What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.” The fact that it has been overused so many times answers the question asked in the lesson plan. Wisdom, often repeated, can produce personal growth, and challenging times can be a stepping stone to becoming a better person. Notice I said can, not will.  

Just the other day, after absorbing the news from Portugal, the BBC, and flipping between two channels here in the States—I was a nervous wreck. Sometimes, I think I listen to the news as a coping mechanism to escape from worries closer to home. Clearly, the news brought it back home on this particular day. Worry and concern for what kind of country my great-grandchildren would grow up in caused my anxiety scale to top out at ten on a pain chart.

          Suddenly, I recalled a Bible verse that tells us not to be anxious about anything, so I began talking to God. No, truthfully, it was more like sounding off to God. “Please destroy all this evil in the world. Can I even ask You to do that? Nevertheless, You tell us to pray for our enemies, but there is so much deception today we do not know who they are until it is too late.”

Finally, a sense of peace began to settle over me. I prayed, “I understand that the perfect world will only come with Your return. Thank You for reassuring us of Your return.” As my anxiety faded away, I felt as if God had spoken to my heart. “Evil is at present on its destructive path, by rejecting Me. Pray for your enemies.”

Whether this was a direct response from God or an understanding of His word in my heart, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that I believe prayer is a form of obedience. Through prayer, we grow in our faith and become more aligned with His will as He prepares us for eternity.

Paul encouraged obedience right before he preached the words from Philippians: “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”

 Hard times are inevitable in a broken world. Yes, it’s possible that hard times can make us better, especially if we talk to God. If we take our problems to God, we are obedient and growing in wisdom.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God (Philippians 4:6).

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, (Philippians 2:12).