Reaching Perfection
Suffering is a necessary component of character growth, and it is through suffering that we are refined and purified, ultimately leading to perfection.
Charles E. Cowman preaches on the theme 'Perfect through suffering,' emphasizing that just as steel is refined through fire and soil through crushing, human character is perfected through suffering. He shares a touching story of a mother teaching her son about compassion towards a crippled boy, illustrating the transformative power of empathy and kindness. Cowman highlights that suffering serves as a fertilizer for character growth, shaping individuals into polished stones for God's eternal purposes.
Text
"Perfect through suffering" (Heb. 2:10).
Steel is iron plus fire. Soil is rock, plus heat, or glacier crushing. Linen is flax plus the bath that cleans, the comb that separates, and the flail that pounds, and the shuttle that weaves. Human character must have a plus attached to it. The world does not forget great characters. But great characters are not made of luxuries, they are made by suffering.
I heard of a mother who brought into her home as a companion to her own son, a crippled boy who was also a hunchback. She had warned her boy to be very careful in his relations to him, and not to touch the sensitive part of his life but go right on playing with him as if he were an ordinary boy. She listened to her son as they were playing; and after a few minutes he said to his companion: "Do you know what you have got on your back?" The little hunchback was embarrassed, and he hesitated a moment. The boy said: "It is the box in which your wings are; and some day God is going to cut it open, and then you will fly away and be an angel."
Some day, God is going to reveal the fact to every Christian, that the very principles they now rebel against, have been the instruments which He used in perfecting their characters and moulding them into perfection, polished stones for His great building yonder. --Cortland Myers
Suffering is a wonderful fertilizer to the roots of character. The great object of this life is character. This is the only thing we can carry with us into eternity. . . . To gain the most of it and the best of it is the object of probation. --Austin Phelps
"By the thorn road and no other is the mount of vision won."
Sermon Outline
- I. The Importance of Suffering in Character Development
- A. Suffering is a necessary component of character growth
- B. Examples of how suffering can shape character
- II. The Role of Suffering in Perfection
- A. Suffering is a means of purification and refinement
- B. The ultimate goal of suffering is perfection
- III. The Nature of Great Characters
- A. Great characters are made through suffering, not luxury
- B. Suffering is a catalyst for character development
Key Quotes
“Steel is iron plus fire.” — Charles E. Cowman
“By the thorn road and no other is the mount of vision won.” — Charles E. Cowman
“Suffering is a wonderful fertilizer to the roots of character.” — Charles E. Cowman
Application Points
- We should view suffering as an opportunity for character growth and refinement.
- Suffering can be a catalyst for spiritual growth and maturity.
- The ultimate goal of suffering is perfection, where we are polished stones for God's great building.