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Crisis Shapes Your Character

I have a slight problem with this Bible verse: We can rejoice when we run into problems… (Romans 5:3)

Honestly, I don’t exactly rejoice when I run into problems. I don’t say, “Oh goodie, my kids are sick!” or “Yabadabadoo, I just had a car accident!”

But perhaps God isn’t telling me to rejoice because of the problem. Instead, God is telling me to rejoice because of the purpose of the problem.

I believe problems have many purposes. And I believe the most important purpose of problems is to shape our Character.

After 30+ years of following God, I’ve come to a very BIG and very DISTURBING realization. (Warning: You won’t like what I’m going to say.) I’ve come to realize that God values my Character more than my Comfort.

Ouch…

Yes, God Values Your Character More Than Your Comfort

I wish it ain’t so.

I wish His first priority was my comfort. I wish His first priority was to solve my problems.

Hey, don’t get me wrong. I believe He cares for you when you’re sick. He cares for you when you can’t pay your bills. He cares for you when you’re broken hearted. He cares for you when you worry about your future.

All those things are important to Him, but His first priority is to shape your Character.

I understand this.

Because I’m a father of two boys. As their Dad, I’ve got a lot of wishes for them. I want them to be handsome, but that’s already a done deal because of genetics. (They take from their mother.) I want them to be healthy; I want them to be wealthy; But more than healthy and wealthy, I want them to be godly. Because if they’re not godly, they won’t be happy.

More than anything else, as a father, I want them to be loving, faithful, humble, honest, selfless…

God is a Father too. I repeat: He values your Character more than your Comfort. Your soul more than your body. Your eternal life more than your physical life.

Because in your death, you’ll leave behind your comfort, your career, your cars, your clothes, your cash,… The only thing you’ll bring to Heaven is your Character.

3 Things That A Crisis Does To Your Character

A Crisis has three unique effects on your Character. So unique, very few things in this world can do these three things.

1. A Crisis Diagnoses Your Character

You’ll know what kind of Character you have not when everything is rosy, fine, and dandy. Not when the sun is shining. Not when all your plans go smoothly. Not when everyone likes you.

You’ll know what kind of Character you have when your dreams are delayed, when your trials abound, and when your obstacles multiply.

Let me give you an analogy: Your character is like a tea bag.

You won’t know if a tea bag is any good just by looking at it. Or smelling it. Or feeling it in your hand. You’ll only know if a teabag is good if you dunk it in hot water. So let me ask you a question: How do you act when you get dunked in hot water?

Character is how you behave when life is very far from what how you imagined it to be. Character is how you behave when everything is totally going wrong and you’re being attacked by problems at every side.

How do you react when trials come? When people criticize you? When friends betray you? When others don’t believe you? When you have no money to pay your bills? When your kids are going astray? When a family member has cancer?

Amidst the trials, will you remain faithful?

Will you remain loving?

Will you remain patient?

Will you remain kind?

The Bible says, When you have many kinds of troubles, you should be full of joy, because you know that these troubles test your faith, and this will give you patience. (James 1:2-3)

A Crisis diagnoses your Character. But it only doesn’t diagnose…

2. A Crisis Develops Your Character

Imagine Jaime, a 4-year old boy wandering into the kitchen.

While there, he sees a frying pan filled with yummy French fries. As he walks near it, his mother sees him and says, “Don’t you dare touch that pan. It will burn you!” So the little boy walks away, pouting that he didn’t get to do what he wanted to do.

The next day, he’s in the kitchen again. And he sees the frying pan with a new batch of French fries in it. He smells the delicious aroma of newly cooked potatoes. He looks around and doesn’t see his Mom. In his little mind, he thinks, “No Mom, No Rules!”

He touches it. And instantly, the house is filled with a piercing shriek, “Mommeeeeeeeeee!”

Flash-forward a few minutes later: The mother is holding her little boy’s hand under running water. He continues to cry because the burn still stings. And he will never forget the lesson for the rest of his life.

Trials are like that. They burn. But they burn for a reason: To teach us lessons we’ll never forget for the rest of our life. I agree when Proverbs 20:30 says, Sometimes it takes a painful situation to make us change our ways.

Here’s a law of this universe: Tests are repeated until the lesson is learned.

Little Jaime’s little hand will get burned again and again if he doesn’t learn his lesson. The hot pan doesn’t care how many little hands it will burn. The hot pan is a relentless, tireless teacher.

My strong recommendation? Learn the lesson as quickly as you can. When it comes to lessons from trials, be a sponge. Soak it in. Don’t be hard headed.

And there’s even a better way of learning…

Priceless Tip:

Try To Get The Teaching Without The Trial

4-year old Jaime has a 3-year old sister named Antonia. And Antonia saw her brother cry in pain for thirty long minutes. She heard the wailing. She saw the red burn in his little hand. Somehow, she felt the pain he was feeling.

A few weeks later, Antonia was playing in the neighbour’s house. While there, she wanders into the kitchen because she smelled macaroni and cheese. And there it was on a hot frying pan on top of the kitchen table.

She looks at it and remembers the painful scenes two weeks ago. She remembers the agony of her brother Jaime. No matter how delicious it looked, she doesn’t touch it. Instead, she calls someone to give her some macaroni and cheese.

We need to be as wise as little Antonia: Try to get the teaching without the trial. All you have to do is to relive their suffering. To hear their cry. To feel their pain.To listen to their stories.

I love listening to people’s stories. I love talking to successful people and asking them, “What made you successful?” But I also love talking to people who failed and asking them, “What made you fail?” I learn so much.

Finally, there’s a third thing that a Crisis does to your Character…

3. A Crisis Defends Your Character

If you’re brave enough, I want you to do a 3-phase experiment at home. (Warning: Be prepared to be wet and dirty.)

Phase One is simple. First, catch a frog from your backyard. A real, slimy, green frog. (I told you it’s going to be wet and dirty.)

Second, boil a kettle of water. Once the water hits boiling point, drop the frog into the kettle.

You’ll observe that the frog will not like what you just did. He won’t be pleased. He’ll jump out of the kettle with superfrog strength. Because of this traumatic experience, he may experience a nervous breakdown, but if you provide adequate psychotherapy, he’ll get over it.

Phase Two is more interesting.

First, catch the frog that’s jumping around your kitchen. Tell him that psychotherapy will have to wait as he is needed for another experiment.

Second, get another kettle and fill it with tap water—and drop the frog into the kettle.

You’ll notice that Mr. Kermit won’t jump out the way it did in Phase One. In fact, you’ll observe that the frog is relaxed, doing gentle breaststrokes in the water.

Next, place the kettle on your cooking range and start a low fire—the minimum heat possible.

You’ll observe that the frog won’t even notice. In fact, you made him even more comfortable. He starts doing backstrokes. If you listen close enough, you may hear the frog whistling the tune of My Heart Goes On by Celine Dion.

And soon, it closes its eyes, dozes off, and in a few minutes—as the water is steaming hot, you realize that you no longer have to pay for frog psychotherapy because the frog is dead.

Here’s Phase 3…

Throw in some chopped carrots, and you have something to eat for dinner.

What’s my point?

Sometimes, a crisis is good because it wallops you. It shocks you. It wakes you up. It burns your hand and you scream, “Mommeeeeeeeeee!”

But perhaps that’s the point! So that you won’t end up as dinner soup.

Difficulties Keep You Away From Danger

Honestly, I wish I never went through my problems. I wish everything went my way.

I wish I was never molested as a child.

I wish my wife never lost her three babies via miscarriage.

I wish I didn’t have to go through each day with leadership burdens on my shoulder.

But looking back, I thank God for my trials! Because I’ve noticed that every trial that I went through made me cry out to God, “Mommeeeeeeeeee!”

When you know that only God can save you, it keeps you humble. It removes your pride. It pushes you to seek God.

About problems, the Bible says, It was the best thing that could have happened to me, for it taught me to pay attention to your laws. (Psalm 119:71-72)

Let me tell you one of my favorite stories…

What Kind Of Scars Do You Have?

One day, a mother and her little boy went to the farm.

Through the kitchen window, she saw her little boy dive into the lake behind the house. It was such a glorious sight, just seeing her son swim through the water.

Suddenly, she screamed in terror. For from the opposite direction, something was also swimming to her boy’s direction—and he didn’t know. It was an alligator!

She ran out to him, all the while shouting to the top of her lungs, “Get out of the lake! There’s an alligator!”

The little boy saw the oncoming alligator. He turned around and started swimming back as fast as he could.

When he touched land, two things happened at the same time. The mother grabbed his arms but the alligator sunk its sharp teeth on his legs. What happened next was a tug-o-war between his mother and the beast. The alligator was very strong, but so was his mother’s love. She simply wouldn’t let go.

A few minutes later, a man who was driving in his truck saw what was happening. Moving quickly, he got out of his truck, grabbed his rifle, and shot the alligator.

A couple of weeks later, the little boy was in the hospital recuperating from his wounds. A journalist entered his room, wanting to interview him.

After a few questions, she asked, “Would you mind if we get a photo of your wounds?”

“Sure,” the little boy said. “I have two wounds. Which ones do you want to photograph?”

The journalist didn’t understand. “What do you mean?”

The little boy removed his blanket and exposed his scarred legs. “These are the scars from the alligator’s teeth.” His legs were covered with ugly puncture wounds.

He then said, “But my other wounds—that’s what I’m proud of. He exposed his arms, and showed off the ugly scars of his mother’s fingernails that dug deep into his skin. “I love these scars because they represent my mother’s love. The reason why I have these scars is because my mother would not let go of me.”

Friend, if you look into your life, you’ll find that you too have these scars. They come from a God that held on to you and wouldn’t let go. Were it not for those scars, you would have been swallowed up by the enemy.

Perhaps you didn’t get that job you prayed for. Perhaps you didn’t get the guy you wanted. Perhaps you didn’t get the project you worked for. God sees the future. He saw that if you got what you wanted, you would be swallowed up by the enemy. So He pulled you back. You got hurt. You got denied. You got rejected. Yes, you have scars—but these are scars of God’s Love for you!

Trials have a way of bringing you closer to God.

Dear friend, bounce from your trials.

Bounce forward.

Bounce Godward!

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez

PS. Last Call Before We Close Doors: Do You Want To Build Multiple Income Streams? Join Me At My TrulyRich Financial Coaching Program on May 25 and 26 in Pasig. I want to teach more people to gain financial freedom. For more information, click on at the link below…

Tell me more about the TrulyRich Financial Coaching Program

On May 25-26, 2012

Filed under: Blogs by bosanchez

99 Responses to “Crisis Shapes Your Character”

dondon, on May 14th, 2012 at 12:00 am Said:

wonderful message I truly admire.!!
jay, on May 14th, 2012 at 5:33 am Said:

Thanks Bo! That was a wake up call for me
shine, on May 14th, 2012 at 6:43 am Said:

Thanks bo sanchez the last part is very thouching story about a boy with 2 scar it made me cry, im a mom also who always want the best for my kids.
Alex, on May 14th, 2012 at 6:57 am Said:

Great article Bro Bo. Thank you very much! Very nice story about the Mom, her son, and the alligator.
Eunil, on May 14th, 2012 at 7:26 am Said:

Bro. Bo thank you so much to your article every monday..you know Bro. Bo you always makes me inspire cause everytime you right an article it always reflect my weekly situations. I always pray to GOD that I will change the way of life I have…And the answer of that is “YOU” I always think that you are the instrument GOD had given me..Thank you Bro. Bo. more power,and to GOD be the GLORY!!!
Eunil, on May 14th, 2012 at 7:27 am Said:

write rather…. =)
Lenn, on May 14th, 2012 at 7:33 am Said:

Thanks Bro. Bo, your article really inspired me a lot!
ging omolon, on May 14th, 2012 at 7:39 am Said:

very true. yes i thank God for always holding on, never letting go of me, taking care of me even if I keep gong back to my sinful ways. thank you Lord for always being there for me.
angel, on May 14th, 2012 at 7:56 am Said:

a message so timely for me to be reminded of… thanks bo
JULZ, on May 14th, 2012 at 8:07 am Said:

What a touching story…Thank you Lord!
Mariz, on May 14th, 2012 at 8:12 am Said:

Hi Bro Bo, thanks for the article . The last part of the story made me cry. I also have a son whom I dearly loved so much. I want him to be God-fearing, loving, kind-hearted, self-less and generous. But what matters most is the love of God, which can be felt from the hardships and pains because He wanted me to be strong and faithful to Him. May you continue to inspire more people.
Ele, on May 14th, 2012 at 8:14 am Said:

Your article was very timely… Thank you very much… thank you very much….May to the Lord continue to use you as a blessing to others…
Smiley, on May 14th, 2012 at 8:15 am Said:

Great blog! Big Tnx for sharing bro Bo. I learned a lot. To trust GOD’s will in my life. To walk by Faith and not by sight. To learn, not only from my own failures but from other people failures as well. It’s really a struggle and a test of character, it’s not easy but with GOD, i know i can do it.
Keep inspiring bro Bo! GODBLESS us all!!! :d

” When the oceans rise and thunders roars,
I will sail with You above the storm.
Father, You are King over the flood,
I will be still and know You are GOD.. ”,)
~ Hillsong
Lou, on May 14th, 2012 at 8:16 am Said:

Thanks Bro. Bo! Happy mother’s day!
Ma. Rhunna, on May 14th, 2012 at 8:17 am Said:

BRO BO:

As i have recently experienced, i prayed for something and someone that my heart desires and wants but it was not given to me, my prayer for months was not granted for GOD knows that it will definitely ruin my life, our lives …truly GOD knows best … that whenever we take the wrong road HE will give us enough time to renew ourselves …

Thank you brother for the inspirational stories you keep on sharing with us … GOD bless
Angel, on May 14th, 2012 at 8:37 am Said:

Been praying for my husband to come back but maybe this is God’s answer to my plea :

“God sees the future. He saw that if you got what you wanted, you would be swallowed up by the enemy. So He pulled you back. You got hurt. You got denied. You got rejected. Yes, you have scars—but these are scars of God’s Love for you! ”

May I learn to be submissive to God’s Will and be healed of the pain !

I attended “The Feast” yesterday with my two(2) daughters for the first time… It was such a wonderful encounter with you Brother Bo…I even asked you to bless me and touch my rosary and so you did.. ” I felt that it was God who actually blessed me..

Thank you so much Bro. Bo. … I’ll be back , promise !\\
Noel, on May 14th, 2012 at 8:42 am Said:

Dear Bro. Bo,

What an inspiring message again bro ! Truly we are so blessed to receive such an inspiring words from you. It was timely and i tell you i really learned a lot from it. Character is what makes a person who he is in the face of God, it takes courage to accept critics and humiliations to make you a better person that God wanted you to be and He will always be there to inflict a loving scar to make you aware that HE loves you and cares for you .

God bless you bro.

Noel
Ako C.Aga, on May 14th, 2012 at 8:48 am Said:

A very touching story of a boy, his mom and the alligator. Thank you very much Bo.. God bless you always !
Noel Noma, on May 14th, 2012 at 9:09 am Said:

Bro Bo,

If given the chance, I would like to meet you personally . Just send me a message.

God uses you to purify me even more!

Continue the great work !

Noel
jennifer, on May 14th, 2012 at 9:09 am Said:

thanks bo! the story about mom and alligator made me cry. I am experiencing great problems. But this story made me realized how God truly loves me. Thank you for becoming our eye opener.
Elvin Peria, on May 14th, 2012 at 9:22 am Said:

Thanks Bro Bo for another inspiring message.

Indeed, trials help us to build our character.
Health Shop, on May 14th, 2012 at 9:26 am Said:

I believe there is a hidden blessing behind every crisis, and with God always on our side I know we can surpass it all.

God bless.
Marissa, on May 14th, 2012 at 9:34 am Said:

Thank you! God made you to enlighten us! Yes, I was rejected, denied, hurt, scars all over me.And now i know God pulled me up again. That’s why i’m here reading your soulful mails and blessed so much. And i will continue to fight with my life’s battle because God is with me and continue to bless others too.

To God be the Glory!
Rommel, on May 14th, 2012 at 9:39 am Said:

I so love the frog part LOL… You have done it again Bro Bo. thank you for your inspiring words/Stories/sharing…
lot, on May 14th, 2012 at 10:10 am Said:

Amen! God is really amazing!
eric mendoza, on May 14th, 2012 at 10:18 am Said:

I hope the frog story wasn’t true.
Thank you Bro!
kit balane, on May 14th, 2012 at 10:32 am Said:

Thank you Bo! Another spirit-filled article.
Frederick, on May 14th, 2012 at 10:47 am Said:

A good lesson to learn… But no matter what is the circumstances will be; God is in contorl of everything…
God bless you Bro. Bo and every human being…
What Kind Of Scars Do You Have? « channbear, on May 14th, 2012 at 10:48 am Said:

[…] from Brother Bo’s blog GA_googleAddAttr(”AdOpt”, “1″); GA_googleAddAttr(”Origin”, “other”); GA_googleAddAttr(”theme_bg”, “cf7da1″); GA_googleAddAttr(”theme_text”, “503559″); GA_googleAddAttr(”theme_link”, “e8cdeb”); GA_googleAddAttr(”theme_border”, “d79eb7″); GA_googleAddAttr(”theme_url”, “e8cdeb”); GA_googleAddAttr(”LangId”, “1″); GA_googleAddAttr(”Domain”, “channbear.wordpress.com”); GA_googleAddAttr(”Autotag”, “family”); GA_googleAddAttr(”Autotag”, “entertainment”); GA_googleAddAttr(”Autotag”, “health”); GA_googleFillSlot(”wpcom_sharethrough”); Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:LikeBe the first to like this post. […]
NELINDA G. GUISON, on May 14th, 2012 at 10:53 am Said:

Thank you Bro Bo for another inspiring article…

am sooo touched and moved by them..

i learned a lot ..you are truly a blessing to us.

more good health for you and your family…
krissy, on May 14th, 2012 at 11:13 am Said:

it makes me a little uncomfortable reading the experiment on dropping a frog on boiling water.. x.x maybe because i do care about animals and as a child i’ve always dreamed about owning my own zoo when i grow up.. though i know people won’t do that experiment on obvious reasons..

i think Brother Bo’s post is very timely.. i pray that we always keep our cool amidst stressful situations and that we always remember that God is a patient God - He is a God of Second Chances - and we are to exert all efforts to improve and be better persons..

Keep it up Brother Bo! Thanks so much for the weekly dose of reflections like a warm chat with a friend.. God bless us always..
Liezl, on May 14th, 2012 at 11:21 am Said:

Thanks so much for a very timely message! It inspire me to go on inspite of the difficulties I am going through.

Thank you and GOD bless you more!!!
dyan, on May 14th, 2012 at 11:37 am Said:

Thanks, Bo. I’m happy I’ve read your books at a young age. Thanks for sharing your stories, I’m on my way to fulfilling God’s dreams for me.
elvie araullo, on May 14th, 2012 at 12:29 pm Said:

All i can say is, WOW! thanks a lot… God bless.
Reggie Ortega, on May 14th, 2012 at 12:30 pm Said:

Thanks, Bo!
It’s very inspiring and it strucks me…God bless
Lianne, on May 14th, 2012 at 12:31 pm Said:

Another inspiring article! I’m going to print it! This is very timely because I prayed for something and God didn’t give it to me… Now I feel so much better. Another article for a lighter life is this one http://thewiseliving.blogspot.com/2012/02/how-to-lessen-stress.html God bless to everyone.
rose, on May 14th, 2012 at 12:47 pm Said:

i cant stop crying….ds article is for me… thanks bro. bo… your a blessing to everyone…..GODSPEED to all
Gilbert Joseph Abueg, on May 14th, 2012 at 12:54 pm Said:

I don’t know if I’ll be happy with this or I’ll get depressed even more… so God is taking too MUCH time “shaping my character”, eh? How depressing…
patrick, on May 14th, 2012 at 12:57 pm Said:

ttnx for another inspiring story bro. god bless
tina, on May 14th, 2012 at 1:05 pm Said:

Another wonderful and inspiring message. The story about the mom and her son made me cry. Thank you Bro.Bo, i always feel that God is speaking to me through your articles. God bless you always!:)
angeline, on May 14th, 2012 at 1:18 pm Said:

thank you po sa lovely article
jackie, on May 14th, 2012 at 1:33 pm Said:

this article almost made me cry. i’m a mom too and i would do everything for the good of my children. there really is a lot to be grateful for. trials really do shape our character. may God guide me in shaping my character because at times i also falter….
Jo, on May 14th, 2012 at 1:47 pm Said:

Thanks Bo for reminding me of God’s wonderful plan for me and all of us. Indeed, God knows what is best for each and everyone of us.

All the best…
Rochelle, on May 14th, 2012 at 1:53 pm Said:

Another wonderful article, “bounce from your trials” , thanks bro. Bo…God bless!
Janny, on May 14th, 2012 at 1:55 pm Said:

I… just thank you!
gena, on May 14th, 2012 at 1:59 pm Said:

after reading this article I’ve realized that god really cares about me. he shaped my character through the trials that i am countering now. and its true because now i have strong faith to him and i have patient to bare problems and i learned from my mistakes. now i can say thank you lord because u don’t leave me instead u walk with me. you always answered my prayer to guide me and make me holy.. i love u lord god and i seek u always.
Alexander Perias, on May 14th, 2012 at 2:13 pm Said:

Can you help me i just lost my wife just this april and i just couldn’t help blaming myself for her death. Our 10 yrs of marriage was really a struggle up to her death hope you can help me
Carlito Aranton, on May 14th, 2012 at 2:30 pm Said:

Yes Bo, you are absolutely right about our character when troubles comes our way.
Valuable story. I would like to share this to my friends.
Gwen Rizal, on May 14th, 2012 at 2:30 pm Said:

Hi Alexander Perias.

This is Gwen Rizal, Virtual Assistant for Bro Bo Sanchez.

Per Bro. Bo, kindly get in touch with the counseling center 725 9999.

Rest assured that we will pray for you.

Gwen Rizal
Virtual Assistant for Bro. Bo Sanchez
http://www.facebook.com/gwenrizal
maris, on May 14th, 2012 at 3:43 pm Said:

Dear Bro. Bo:

Your soulfood for today is very timely of what i am feeling today. I am asking God so many questions: Why I am like this, why do i have to face the same problem over and over again? For example, I am now experiencing the same problem like what happened four years ago. Why is this so? It is as if it’s a cycle. I am expecting God will do some improvements in my life because I am very faithful to my faith but these still happen. And now I realize that God values my character more than my comfort. I’m sorry Lord for not trusting You. I know that You know all things, You can do all things and You love me very much.
Thank you, Bo, for the inspiring article that when I read this I was teary eyed and was laughing to myself… (how little is my faith).

Maris
joey, on May 14th, 2012 at 3:49 pm Said:

GOD is soooo good…. we’re so blessed to have you.. THANK YOU for inspiring us and helping us bounce towards HIM! More power to you and to GOD be the glory. Godspeed.:)
Truly Rich, on May 14th, 2012 at 4:24 pm Said:

Thanks Bro Bo!
You’re really God’s voice on earth!
May God bless you more!
May God make me a blessing to others!
Aileen, on May 14th, 2012 at 4:36 pm Said:

Thank you very very much bro. bo for this message. God is really amazing, this message just came right on time:) thank you so much…
JULIET, on May 14th, 2012 at 4:49 pm Said:

Bro Bo, How i wish you’ll be back here in Iligan City. I have seen you when you had a seminar at Elena Tower Inn. How I wish I can attend your seminar on Financial freedom. But it will be more costly (for a fare) if I will travel to manila. I’m sure more will be attending if you will conduct your seminar here in Iligan or in Cagayan de Oro City.

Thanks in advance bro. bo! More power!!!
tina, on May 14th, 2012 at 4:52 pm Said:

“When you know that only God can save you, it keeps you humble. It removes your pride. It pushes you to seek God…”

very well said Bro. Bo. May God bless you with more wisdom to inspire us more… Thank you… :o)
oscar jess villar, on May 14th, 2012 at 5:03 pm Said:

Dear Bro
thank you for this wonderful article , i will read this from time to time from now on .

i ‘m a father of 3 kids all boys ,my eldest has been diagnosed with autism syndrome disorder ,i’m dead broke no savings , my wife and i work but still a combined salary it does not suffice the daily needs.

With this article is a big help to lift me up .thank you
Jo Concepcion, on May 14th, 2012 at 5:57 pm Said:

that is very true, kapag may problema ka, duon lalabas ang character mo, at character din ng mga friends mo daw? i experienced it…. GOD is only way! GOD is always GOOD all the time, and ALL the time GOD is GOOD!
Sonny, on May 14th, 2012 at 6:04 pm Said:

Another inspiring lesson and a great reminder for all of us!
Thank you po for sharing Bro. Bo.
You’re a blessing to all of us!
Hope I can be able to share again to some of my friends. God bless us!
Eva, on May 14th, 2012 at 6:58 pm Said:

Thank you Lord for your love , how many times you have saved me. I was wounded but I know its all for my sake. I should learned quickly.
Melchor, on May 14th, 2012 at 7:02 pm Said:

I can now work on my three-day deadline after reading this. Thanks, Bro. Bo.
ry, on May 14th, 2012 at 7:48 pm Said:

hi bro. bo!

thanks again for another inspiring message. it makes me light again. truly, God uses you. God bless.:)
mary, on May 14th, 2012 at 8:27 pm Said:

soo many things to be learned…as well as too many things to be taught…i find no reason to stop reading ur articles…masaya na uli ako…i can start again…salamat sa pag-asa! pagpalain ka nawa ng maykapal at lahat po ng taong nasa paligid mo….
Romeo, on May 14th, 2012 at 8:30 pm Said:

Bro Bo,
Thanks for sharing the story about the character,,.I felt so relieve after reading all this story..im experiencing right now all the challenges especially my Financial status are down,but despite with all that challenges in life,I wont Give up..I been praying always that its only a temporary..I know God Has a Plans for me.
Thank you o dear Lord for always there for me.
cloty, on May 14th, 2012 at 8:43 pm Said:

The most important purpose of problems is to shape our Character.

thank you bro.Bo..This is very inspiring.
Romeo, on May 14th, 2012 at 10:12 pm Said:

Thank you for another inspiring message for me and my family. It will really help us through this difficult hours of our lives.
Milleth, on May 14th, 2012 at 10:15 pm Said:

Trials have a way of bringing you closer to God.

God loves me, He will not let me go.

Thanks Bro Bo,. God bless you.
Hutch, on May 14th, 2012 at 11:47 pm Said:

Thank you Bro. Bo for this very timely article! You are Godsent to us! Thank you very much! GOD bless you & your family!

love&prayers,
Hutch
Rochella, on May 14th, 2012 at 11:54 pm Said:

I thank God for making you an instrument to inspire people. Your story about mom and little boy is very touching. It’s very true to my life too. God never left me. I live to His promise that He will never leave me nor forsake me (Heb. 13:5). Thanks Bo!
Caroline Jaro, on May 15th, 2012 at 12:32 am Said:

As a teenager, I know I have more trials to face and I love how this article has prepared me. Many times, I am confused on what is really the plan of God for my life. Why is this or that happening to me. Now I know. God loves me so much that he is so patient to mold my character for the best purpose. Thanks Bo. Bo! You never fail to inspire me. To God be the Glory! =)
Caroline Jaro, on May 15th, 2012 at 12:34 am Said:

*Bro. Bo rather. =)
AL, on May 15th, 2012 at 1:23 am Said:

In a time when everything good is challenged & our faith is continually attacked, doctrinally, culturally, physically, spiritually… this article gave me strength to continue my own crusade. tnx Bro. Bo! Proverbs 20:30 was so meaningful to me!

Tota Pulchra es Maria et Macula Originalis non est in te!
tess, on May 15th, 2012 at 3:36 am Said:

Thank you Bro. Bo for this uplifting article. You are describing my life here, with all the negative life situations you mentioned above, with very deep scars caused by unexplanable and mysterious happenings in my life and famiy life.. I can say that I am living the life of Job, so …burdened . My consolation is my faith and trust, knowing that He is still on His throne. I know He will not abandon us nor forsake us. He is in control of everything. Likewise, your teachings inspired me so much. You are right, He doesn’t want us to be swallowed up by the enemy and we need to pray more. I know He has a good plan for all these tests of my faith, that His Holy Name may be glorified. As the bible says ‘All things work together for good for those who love Him’. These trials bring me closer to Him. I have now more time to contemplate on His Words and I am praying that He will continue to mold me to become what He wanted me to be. I thank and praise Him for His love for all of us and for the gift of you who continue to help and inspire people with the talents and spiritual gifts He gave you. God bless you, your family and your ministries.
daisy, on May 15th, 2012 at 8:10 pm Said:

very timely….GOD is really GOOD all the time…
Aileen, on May 16th, 2012 at 6:51 am Said:

God loves me so much!…I am so grateful of my scars…I love you so much my Father…
rhea d., on May 16th, 2012 at 10:21 am Said:

as usual……. I say AMEN to that wonderful article Bo!……. May you touch more people’s lives…….Amen.
raoul "lee" derit, on May 16th, 2012 at 10:55 am Said:

I love your story, and I really appreciate your message. May God continue to bless you, Bo.
jovelyn, on May 16th, 2012 at 1:43 pm Said:

its amazing how God transform our lives the way it should be..not our will but His will..yes it”s true that sometimes God take us in to the troubled waters not to drown us but to cleanse us..we commit mistakes but what important on it we got the lesson to be learned… thank you Bo Sanchez for the great message may God bless you and your family ..
Erlinda G. Aquino, on May 16th, 2012 at 5:03 pm Said:

hi alexander , i also just lost my husband of 35 years of marriage last January. just like you i thought i could not moved on. like you too i seek the help of bro. bo’s ministry, the counselling and the intercessory requesting for their prayers and intercession. now, though, the memories of my husband still lingers on, through the intercessory ministry, and their concerns and god’s love attention, i am now moving on with my life. I realized God loves me unconditionally and He has not abandon me all the time i’m grieving. my grieving now turn into rejoicing because i felt His presence and His love more. God bless you bro. Alex
K.L.S., on May 17th, 2012 at 2:04 am Said:

Hi Bro Bo,

Thanks for this wonderful article. I find the story about the mother and her son really cute. But what struck me most about your message is how you have embraced your own trials and allowed it to shape who you are today. But as a mother, it is very difficult to understand why your 3 yr old son will be molested by another child. I tried to seek help but I have not gotten to start picking up the pieces, and pierces my heart every so often. I hope you can share how and what can we do to overcome those difficulties.

Thanks!
adel, on May 17th, 2012 at 3:16 am Said:

thank you Bro. Bo…this is a great article of yours. Be strong and be brave, God will always give us strength and courage…God will bless us in all areas of our lives.
Alex, on May 17th, 2012 at 4:04 am Said:

“Trials are like that. They burn. But they burn for a reason: To teach us lessons we’ll never forget for the rest of our life”..I do agree with this article.It inspires and remind me always that in every trial there is a valuable lesson we gain.Many thanks to you Bro Bo for another inspiring article that I will share to my wife and kids.More power and may God continue to bless you,your family and Ministry to lead us closer to God.
Romes, on May 18th, 2012 at 8:17 am Said:

Bo’s messages are always timely, or more proper to say - God’s messages through Bo are JIT… Thanks Brother Bo.
Judith, on May 18th, 2012 at 9:59 am Said:

Soulfoul and inspiring indeed. God bless Bo!
blessedone, on May 18th, 2012 at 11:54 am Said:

Thanks Bo, this is truly inspiring. I shall follow how this is relayed to you by God… God bless you always!
Angely Deang, on May 19th, 2012 at 4:35 pm Said:

Awesome article Bro. Bo! I wonder how you put all those thoughts together. It’s truly God-inspired! GLORY BE TO GOD!
don aguilar, on May 20th, 2012 at 12:07 pm Said:

thanks GOd for bo’s wisdom
hancel, on May 22nd, 2012 at 7:04 am Said:

you are a blessing to me Bro. BO..i need this today, thank you God for using Bro. BO…
don directo, on May 23rd, 2012 at 10:03 am Said:

very true Bro. Bo. Thank God for your blogs. We are so blessed to have you
Interesting Article from Bo Sanchez | blog SNAPS, on May 25th, 2012 at 6:01 pm Said:

[…] Crisis shapes your character var message=”Function Disabled!”; function clickIE4(){ if (event.button==2){ alert(message); return false; } } function clickNS4(e){ if (document.layers||document.getElementById&&!document.all){ if (e.which==2||e.which==3){ alert(message); return false; } } } if (document.layers){ document.captureEvents(Event.MOUSEDOWN); document.onmousedown=clickNS4; } else if (document.all&&!document.getElementById){ document.onmousedown=clickIE4; } document.oncontextmenu=new Function(”alert(message);return false”) […]
leth patino, on May 27th, 2012 at 6:45 am Said:

“Trials have a way of bringing you closer to God”
–Thank you Bro. Bo for enlightening my mind. I had betrayed by my husband nieces for not paying a big amount of money they owed from us. They issued me a bounced checks for the reason of closed account..
I’ve hurt a lot.But please pray for me to forgive them…
Gellie Sanots, on May 31st, 2012 at 7:15 pm Said:

“Perhaps you didn’t get that job you prayed for. Perhaps you didn’t get the guy you wanted. Perhaps you didn’t get the project you worked for. God sees the future. He saw that if you got what you wanted, you would be swallowed up by the enemy. So He pulled you back. You got hurt. You got denied. You got rejected. Yes, you have scars—but these are scars of God’s Love for you!”

– this paragraph made me cry. thank youuu soo much mr. bo sanchez. i really realized a lot from this article. im on this stage right now whic i cant accept what happened to me, but now.. i think, GOD really has a better plan :’)
Gellie Santos, on May 31st, 2012 at 7:15 pm Said:

“Perhaps you didn’t get that job you prayed for. Perhaps you didn’t get the guy you wanted. Perhaps you didn’t get the project you worked for. God sees the future. He saw that if you got what you wanted, you would be swallowed up by the enemy. So He pulled you back. You got hurt. You got denied. You got rejected. Yes, you have scars—but these are scars of God’s Love for you!”

– this paragraph made me cry. thank youuu soo much mr. bo sanchez. i really realized a lot from this article. im on this stage right now whic i cant accept what happened to me, but now.. i think, GOD really has a better plan :’)
Daryll James de Roma, on June 2nd, 2012 at 4:36 pm Said:

Its touches my Heart, I realized that my problems are not Karma’s, it is God Love and Plan. AMEN for that Bro. Bo. AMEN +
Jazzmin Reolope, on June 13th, 2012 at 7:34 pm Said:

Thanks for this article Bro. Bo.. I agree to this.. Your sayings always true.. It really inspires me.. :’)
Character Over Comfort | FS Blog, on June 13th, 2012 at 7:49 pm Said:

[…] beberapa hari awal itu aku sempet baca salah satu postingan blognya Bo Sanchez, Crisis Shapes Your Character. Ya benernya basic banget, tapi it’s like an answer and at the same time encourager :p Karna […]
danny, on June 15th, 2012 at 9:55 am Said:

bro bo,

It remind me of the songs.. Foot print in the sand. It is very powerful like your message.. a lot of inspiration
What kind of scars do you have? « livelovelotis, on June 20th, 2012 at 1:55 pm Said:

[…] Another good story from Bo Sanchez’ article in Soulfood Newsletter. Read the whole article here. […]
Andika W, on July 4th, 2012 at 4:25 pm Said:

Beautiful as always. Thanks brother Bo. You wouldn’t know how relieved I am to read this article…
Truly Rich Pinoy, on July 22nd, 2012 at 10:59 am Said:

Thank you for this inspiring article. Now I know that I should not be crushed by the crisis. I should grow stronger and build my character.

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