The molding of Christian character

In my life I have experienced many disappointments. Life has not turned out like I hoped it would (according to the idealistic schedule I had in mind for myself when I was twenty-one). Perhaps, one day I'll get around to writing about the journey. Believe me, it's a lo-o-o-ong story.

Anyway, the other day I was thinking about how, actually, I'm better off today because of the hurts, pains, disappointments and humiliations I've experienced. If my life had gone along smoothly, and I simply went from one success to another, I would be so much the poorer because of it. Honestly!

I'm seeing that God means business when it comes to our characters: "For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son" (Romans 8:29). God will do whatever it takes to bring about His desired end in the lives of His children. It won't always be pretty, but the end result is we come out looking like Jesus.

"Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is" (1 John 3:2).

Singer Steve Camp has a post at his blog about this very process of being "conformed to the image" of Christ: "From The Crucible Of Grace...the molding of Christian character".