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You've worked really hard on your car and things are looking good. It rolls like the wind, and you can see yourself in the fine shiny finish. Boy, it's going to be a great race.

But then at the race, things go sour. The table gets bumped and the car rolls off and bangs on the floor. Then the car gets positioned poorly at the starting gate and loses a key race. The next thing you know the night is over, and you're heading home with the car, but without the anticipated trophy.

Now what do you do? You could

1. Sulk and complain until the painful memory fades,
2. Dash off an angry e-mail to the event coordinator complaining how their poor event coordination caused your car to lose.
3. Realize that sometimes bad things happen, and God uses these difficult events to help develop our character.

Okay, even with choice three there is certainly painful emotions. But we mustn't be overcome by difficult events, and certainly we must make sure that we don't act in a way that we will regret.

There is no doubt that God does allow bad things to happen to good people, as it is through the difficult circumstances that we grow in godliness.

The Bible says:

Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. Romans 5:4-5 (NIV)

Many other scriptures support and provide additional information on this topic of suffering.

Admittedly, losing at a pinewood derby event is not particularly serious compared with potential crises that could occur. However, these smaller events help us to develop a godly character so that when a serious crisis does occur, we can be better prepared to face it.

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