So often, we want OUT of a difficult situation. We’re not interested in what’s best in the long run; we want relief now. I remember when our daughters wore braces. Every month, the orthodontist would tighten the wires on their teeth so much that their teeth would ache for days. If you asked them during this painful time if they wanted their braces removed, they would have said, “YES!”

Fortunately, their orthodontist knew that removing their braces would have ended the temporary suffering but would have interfered with the long-term goal of beautiful, straight teeth. The same is true in many of our trials. The apostle Paul knew this when he wrote, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18).