We often are reminded to be grateful to God for our blessings. We are told to have an “attitude of gratitude.”  We are told to “count your blessings.”  But how often do we thank God for our problems?  Probably never.  But I would argue that our problems sometimes can be our greatest blessings in disguise.  Our problems often are used by God to mold us into the people that He wants us to become.

When life is easy, our characters aren’t tested. For instance, it is easy to be kind when you are dealing with pleasant people.  But are you able to be kind when others are being rude?  That is far more difficult.  It is in those situations that we have the opportunity to grow in emotional maturity.

The key to being thankful for your problems is to ask yourself, “What can I learn from this situation? How can this situation help me grow in maturity?”  Be creative in figuring out how you can benefit from the situation.  Don’t simply focus on the obvious problem at hand.

Below are some ways to see your problems as the blessings that they may very well be. If you approach your problems in the right way, they ultimately can be to your benefit.  And you will be thanking God for them.

Closed Doors Can Be A Good Thing:  In the past, I used to think that disappointments were a bad thing.  For example, if I applied for a job and didn’t get it, I thought that something bad had happened to me.  I no longer have that attitude.  I now know that the job wasn’t right for me.  Or, God may have a better job in mind for me.  Sometimes my plans just aren’t as good as God’s plans.

In fact, we typically run into problems in life when we try to force open those closed doors. Think how many divorces could be avoided if people didn’t force a relationship into marriage when that wasn’t meant to be?  I did exactly that in my first marriage.  I pushed a relationship into marriage that just wasn’t meant for that level of commitment.  Now that I am older, I regret how much pain I caused by forcing open a door that should have remained closed.

There is a wonderful scene in the Sound of Music when Maria is speaking with the head of the abbey. The head of the abbey tells her, “When the Lord closes a door, somewhere he opens a window.” How true!  So, when you face a closed door, don’t fret.  Don’t try to force open the door.  Just wait.  Be grateful for the closed door.  The door is probably closed for a good reason.  But if you are patient, kind and work hard, God will open a window for you.  And that window will lead to something far better than you ever could have dreamed.

Problems Are Character Builders:  When you face problems, even though it may be hard, try to hold yourself to the highest standard of behavior.  For instance, it is easy to be irritable when life isn’t going your way.  It is easy when you are in a bad mood to take your feelings out on others.  Worse yet, it is easy to make excuses for not meeting your responsibilities.

But that isn’t what God expects from us. God wants to see us be kind, even when we are under stress.  He wants us to put the needs of others before our own concerns.  He wants us to meet our responsibilities, even when that may be difficult to do.  He wants to see us achieve that higher level of maturity.

When we live honorably, even in the midst of difficulty, we build our characters. We show what we are made of.  It is easy to be kind and easy going when life is going well.  Frankly, anyone can do that.  But being kind when we are tired or under stress is the difference between being a person of average ethics versus being a person of exceptional ethics.  How we act under stress is the test of who we truly are.

I will admit that I have become better at passing these character tests as I have gotten older. In my youth, I would become very overwhelmed and self-centered when faced with personal problems.  It is only now that I am older, that when faced with a problem, I know that I shouldn’t focus on my problem.  Rather, I need to focus on how I am handing the problem.

I ask myself, “Am I being as patient as possible with others? Am I being kind, even if those around me are being difficult?  Am I holding myself to the highest standard of behavior, regardless of the stress that I am under?”

The key when facing a problem is to focus on the development of our character, rather than focusing on our problem. We probably don’t have much control over our problem anyway.  So our time is better spent focusing on how we can develop our characters.  In that way, we can benefit, even when facing hard times.

Problems Push Us to Achievement:  We need resistance to accomplish something in life.  Let’s say, God gave you $200K per year, a nice house and a luxury car.  And you had to do nothing for it.  Would you be inspired to get a job or have any professional achievements?  Probably not.  I’m not saying you would eat chips and watch television all day, but you wouldn’t be motivated to get a higher education.  And you probably wouldn’t invent or create anything new.

Most people need challenges in order to achieve great things in life. It is no small wonder that many of our presidents have come from humble beginnings.  The desire to push oneself to achieve greatness often comes from the need to rise above one’s circumstances.

For example, young people who are given college educations and down payments for their first homes by their parents aren’t as motivated as their peers who have to work for those same things. College is going to mean a lot more to you if you have to pay for it yourself.  You aren’t going to treat it as another four years of high school.  Similarly, if your hard-earned pennies paid for your first home down payment, you’ll never take that house for granted.

So, count your problems as blessings in disguise. It isn’t your problems that are keeping you from achieving things in life.  Rather, your problems should be what drive you to achieve.  So, whenever you encounter challenges in life, don’t allow them to upset you.  Instead, rise to the challenge.  Do your best to overcome your circumstances, and see God do great things in your life.

This week, when you think about your problems, try to think about how they might be opportunities to grow in maturity. Think about how God could use them to propel you ahead to greater success in life.  Know that with the right attitude, your problems could be your greatest blessings.

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