We can choose to…

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. (Hebrew 10:24 NIV)

 You may wonder: Why would we need differences of opinion, sensitivities, misunderstandings, jealousies, resentments, comparing, sacrificing, arguments, emotional upsets, fears, heartbreaks, and adversity? Those things don’t sound like they would build a very strong relationship.
 If we didn’t experience the trials of life, we would have a hard time learning to exercise the qualities that make us better people patience, understanding, and forgiveness. Misunderstandings, disagreements, hurts and even wrongs force us to respond to them.
 We can choose to stretch, to become better, to reach out to God for more of His love. It’s how we face the circumstances that come into our life and what we do with them that counts.
 Will we learn from our difficulties and become better or will we become hardened? Will we become humbler or prouder?
 Even when we do our best and we grow and learn and mature, there are always more challenges ahead, because that’s the way God intended for life to be. We overcome one difficulty and then we go on to another one.
 But each victory is a step forward. Each victory is fulfilling. Each victory takes us farther along the road of progress. —M. Fontaine [1]

 The greater the difficulty, the more glory in surmounting it. Skilful pilots gain their reputation from storms and tempests. —Epictetus

[1] Activated Vol 19 Issue 7