Tempered Virtue

“We know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. ” (Romans 5:3 MSG)

Tempering is a technique by which metal alloys are heated and cooled for precise times and temperatures to achieve a desired balance of properties. Tempered steel is tough and malleable. This makes it a suitable material for many manufacturing processes. 

Adversity can be a form of tempering, making us tough and malleable. It shapes us from the inside out, transforming our perspective, developing perseverance. In time, our capacity to bear provocation and pain increases. We become more resistant to external pressure. Our character is refined. We learn to stay alert and attuned, anticipating God’s goodness.

Endurance

“We know that affliction produces endurance...” (Romans 5:3 CSB)

Long distance running has taught me to be mindful of what I yield to. Giving in to sore muscles, tiredness, boredom, and negative thoughts gets you nowhere. Athletes learn that a certain amount of pain is inevitable during training. Your desire to finish the race must outweigh your intolerance for discomfort. You yield to the goal, not the pain.

Giving power to the wrong thing can sabotage progress in all areas of life. For example, capitulating to self-pity, weakness, despondency, or fear keeps us from moving forward. Permissiveness leads to negligence and disorder. Endurance, on the other hand, gives purpose to affliction. Fortitude accepts pain as part of the growth process. Perseverance knows that strength and discipline are essential to resilience. When we  trust God, we give in to His power. The awareness of a higher purpose eclipses suffering. When we yield to God, instead of to our natural inclination to avoid pain and humiliation, we reveal His glory.