Although Henri Matisse was nearly 28 years younger than Auguste Renoir, the two great artists were dear friends and frequent companions. When Renoir was confined to his home during the last decade of his life, Matisse visited him daily. Renoir, almost paralyzed by arthritis, continued to paint in spite of his infirmities. One day as Matisse watched the elder painter working in his studio, fighting torturous pain with each brush stroke, he blurted out: "Auguste, why do you continue to paint when you are in such agony?"

Renoir answered simply: "The pain passes but the beauty remains." And so, almost to his dying day, Renoir put paint to canvas. One of his most famous paintings, "The Bathers," was completed just two years before his death, and 14 years after he was stricken by disabling arthritis.

Some Pains Produce Lasting Beauty..

Every problem in life gives us two opportunities to be changed. We have the opportunity to grow stronger or to become bitter. It is our choice. We can seize the problem and try to overcome it and therefore grow stronger or we can let the problem overwhelm us and destroy our faith, our attitudes and our joy.

Listen to the Word of God, in I Corinthians 10:13, "..but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted (tried or tested) beyond what you are able (..to endure), but with that temptation (trial) will also make a way of escape that you be able to bear it." God weighs out the tests, the trials, the temptations of life and allows us only to face what we can handle.  You see that problem.. God knows you can handle it. God believes in your faith, your strength and your ability to overcome the circumstances.

God doesn't put problems in our lives to destroy us.  He knows that we can overcome them.  We may not always win every battle but we become wiser, stronger and better able to help others through our struggle.  So don't worry about the problems of life, the situations that you face, you can overcome them.  You can grow stronger and you will be better equipped for the future because God believes in you.