Suffering prepares you by training you to trust God and know that He is always at work in your life.

Understand that it is often unwise to forgive face to face. This tends to make the other person feel 'put down' and make you look holier-than-thou.

Adversity is not simply a tool. It is God's most effective tool for the advancement of our spiritual lives. The circumstances and events that we see as setbacks are oftentimes the very things that launch us into periods of intense spiritual growth. Once we begin to understand this, and accept it as a spiritual fact of life, adversity becomes easier to bear.

The Bible reveals the Father's overall plan for the world and provides general guidelines for life. But how can we know His specific plans for us? Listening to God is essential to walking with God.

The Scriptures contain many stories of people who waited years or even decades before the Lord's promises came to pass. What modern believers can learn from the patience of biblical saints like Abraham, Joseph, David, and Paul is that waiting upon the Lord has eternal rewards.

His voice leads us not into timid discipleship but into bold witness.

God will never tell us to do something that gratifies the flesh.