“Your house is flooded,” said my friend over the cellphone. Graphic images flooded my mind given that Houston, Texas, had devastating flood damage from Tropical Storm Harvey, dumping up to 52" of rain in some areas. Many from our church spent days removing muck and damaged personal items from the homes of flood victims. Rushing home, we discovered that the term “flood” is subject to interpretation. A new water filter in a new refrigerator had leaked the entire time we were away on an overnight visit. What followed was a lot of mopping, towel-wringing, fan-blowing work that, we thought, fixed the problem. Later that evening we discovered that the water had seeped under the carpet and flooring in much of the house. Long story short, we lived out of suitcases for 41 days (not that I was keeping track) while the flooring was removed, sheetrock repaired, and new paint applied.

Like many Christians, I confess that there was an initial “Why me, Lord?” attitude. As a Christian, I still had that momentary question poised on my lips. The reality is that life is messy. Jesus told His followers that life is tough! “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 6:33, ESV). Christians are not immune to the consequences of living in a fallen world. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said that the faith life has a purpose. “So that you may be sons of your Father Who is in heaven. For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:45). If you’ve read the Bible, you know that Jesus’s life was not one of ease and comfort. Scourging and crucifixion aren’t going to be found in any tourist brochure.

There are too many churches today that preach cheap grace or a prosperity gospel. Pastor Brandon Guindon, senior pastor of Real Life Ministries Texas, says, “The Gospel we preach will determine the disciples we make” (Disciple-Making Culture). Is it any wonder that the Church in America is losing ground? The Apostle Paul never soft-pedaled the Christian life. “When they had preached the gospel to that city [Derbe] and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:21-22). The Greek word for “tribulation” is thlipsis, defined as “pressure, affliction” (Young’s Analytical Concordance). I could add trials or suffering as well. No one is immune.

The defining aspect of tribulation is how we respond. I’ve learned over the years that people who know I’m a Christian are always watching me when times get tough. Paul understood this. Listen to what he said to the Roman believers: “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings [KJV: tribulation], knowing that suffering [KJV: tribulation] produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Romans 5:1-5).

Here is my Ron Helle “Keep It Simple, Stupid” commentary on this passage (at no additional charge). The tough time has, as its ultimate outcome, the building of godly character in my life. Through suffering I learn endurance, which produces hope. I have hope because Jesus has said that He has overcome the world. God desires that, day by day, I become more like King Jesus in thought, word, and deed. Unlike Harvey, our flood was a minor inconvenience. Admittedly, not every day was a “Ho Ho” day (or “sunshine and roses,” to quote my bride), but I pray that the lesson learned will develop greater fruitfulness when the next trial comes. What say ye, Man of Valor?