Difficulties are not merely obstacles on the path of faith—they can become tools through which God shapes character. Those who learn to take responsibility, make decisions, and overcome crises by trusting in God gain inner strength, spiritual maturity, and a lasting influence on others. By Ellen White

Reading time: 6 minutes

Dealing Creatively with Conflict

God never intended for people with special abilities, great intelligence, or strong character to be permanently dependent on others—like ivy climbing up an oak tree. Rather, the difficulties, setbacks, disappointments, and challenges that His servants face serve a higher purpose: the development of a steadfast character.

Those who use their mental abilities and overcome obstacles on their own often discover that these very challenges become a blessing. They foster spiritual maturity, strengthen faith, and prepare people for tasks that require greater responsibility and determination. Through such experiences, people come to know God’s guidance and help on a very personal level. This experience gives them confidence and inner strength.

When new difficulties arise later and major decisions must be made, they learn to think carefully, recognize the need for prayer, and act with wisdom. Conflicts and crises, in particular, then become opportunities to trust in God anew. In this way, the steadfastness develops that sustains a person even under pressure and enables them to walk their path faithfully and resolutely.

There is a constant need to explore new ways and means of solving problems. Abilities are put to use that would lie dormant were it not for these urgent needs in God’s work. In this way, one gains diverse experiences.

People who are narrow-minded or have immature ideas are of no help to God. People with influence and persuasiveness—whom God can use for His glory in His work—are those who can endure opposition, who have often faced mysteries, and whose plans have not infrequently been thwarted…

Act Independently and on Your Own Initiative

Be careful not to let the opinions of others influence your judgment. Although you have made mistakes, you can turn these mistakes into victories by avoiding them in the future. But if you let others dictate what you should do, you will never gain the experience necessary for any important position …

The same applies to all who hold various positions of trust in the Battle Creek offices. We shouldn’t help them with every problem, coddle them, or pamper them, because that prevents them from acquiring the competence they need for important positions. People are made strong by obstacles, not by assistance.

Difficulties, conflicts, and rejection turn people into moral heroes. Too much comfort and too little responsibility produce weaklings and pygmies … People who, in every crisis, ought to be as faithful as a needle to the pole, achieve too little because they try to protect themselves from reproach. They shy away from responsibility because they are afraid of failing.

Individual independence and strength are the qualities demanded today. One’s individual character need not be abandoned, but rather adapted, refined, and enhanced … Obstacles and difficulties confront us at every turn. We must face them with determination; otherwise, they will defeat us …

Be Thorough and Swift

Sometimes it’s even better to make a wrong decision than to constantly waver back and forth and hesitate … I’ve been shown that the most extraordinary victories and the most terrible defeats are often decided in a matter of minutes. God expects us to act quickly … Acting quickly at the decisive moment often disarms the enemy. He is disappointed and defeated because he had counted on having time to plan and carry out his cunning schemes … The ability to handle matters swiftly yet thoroughly is a great achievement … First, one should do what must be done and what is essential for the progress of the work; only then should the less important matters be addressed …

Setting Priorities

Worldly and personal interests should always come second. God’s cause should never suffer in even the slightest way because of our earthly friends and dearest relatives … God’s cause requires sacrifice. The sacrifice of our feelings is the most painful one expected of us … God expects selfless and willing service. We can certainly fulfill this without neglecting the duties we have toward our family…

Working Toward a Balanced Character

The faith we profess is shaped by our natural dispositions and temperaments. That is why it is extremely important that we strengthen our weak character traits by putting them to use, and weaken the strong, unfavorable traits by working in the opposite direction and strengthening the opposite traits …

Correcting My Self-Image

In our work for God, we encounter a wide variety of situations. They require self-control from us, but they also enable us to adapt to the circumstances and the particularities of the situation. Then we can act fearlessly.

Let us not underestimate our ability to fulfill our role in the various tasks of practical life! Where we are aware of our shortcomings, we should set about correcting these flaws immediately. Let us not rely on others to do this for us. Above all, we should not carry on indifferently, as if it were a given that our personality structure must remain the same forever.

Let us earnestly strive to correct these flaws, so that we may be made complete in Jesus Christ and lack nothing! If we take ourselves too seriously, we will overestimate the influence of our work and insist on our independence to such an extent that it borders on arrogance.

If, however, we fall into the other extreme and underestimate ourselves, we will feel inferior. This can greatly impair the positive influence we could have.

Let us therefore avoid both extremes and not allow ourselves to be ruled by our emotions. Circumstances need not throw us off course. We can develop a realistic self-image that protects us from both extremes.

We can have self-respect without arrogant self-confidence, yet we can also humble ourselves and submit without losing our self-respect or our independence. In this way, our lives can have a great influence on people from both the upper and lower classes of society.

From: Ellen White, Testimonies for the Church, Volume 3, Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Publishing Association (1875), pp. 492–506