Learning and growing can be a difficult process. Difficult, painful, embarassing, scary – even tragic. Mistakes happen, whether through our own forgetfulness, our misguided efforts, or even through no fault of our own, but God can use every single one of those mistakes to help us grow.
Once, after sitting out in the pews during the sermon, I came up to the piano to play the invitation and benediction songs, only to discover that the music was nowhere in sight. I had left it back at my seat in the pews. I really wished I could play by ear right then! But I had to learn to be more prepared. After a few times (I admit it took me more than once), I learned to double-check that I had all the needed music ahead of time. Though those circumstances might have seemed quite painful at the time, they weren’t the end of the world. I grew from the experiences, and learned to be a better, and more reliable, pianist.
In the same way, God may let us go through painful events, teaching us to be better believers in the process. I don’t mean to belittle any events some of us may have gone through – they are not all nearly as benign as forgetting a piece of music, and some tragedies can tear our hearts to shreds. God does not dream up terrible trials to put us through – our own sin and that of the world creates calamities just fine by itself – but God really does work through all things for the good of those who love him. He shores up our foundations, and strengthens our faith.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28