One rainy winter day, I noticed how dusty our houseplant was. So I set it outside to rinse it off a little. Not a bad idea—except that I forgot about bringing it in. The next morning, I was horrified to see the poor thing had lost all its leaves. Sheepishly, I put it right back in its favorite corner. Later, I was overjoyed to see hundreds of tiny shoots reappearing on its barren branches.

Right then, God spoke clearly to my heart: “This is what I’m doing to you!” I’d been going through some difficulties, so I immediately understood what God was saying. He’d been exposing me to extreme circumstances, using suffering so that fresh life could sprout. That lesson taught me to embrace trials whenever they come my way. They’re there for my good—to transform my character. For God, suffering is a much lesser evil than a mediocre heart.

From: Free from the Power of Sin: the Keys to Growing in God in Spite of Yourself