Read this from a friend's...thot I shld share

MY PROBLEMS.
Each problem that I face is brought to me by myself not God as many think. Here are 5 Reasons Why God Uses our self created Problems for our good.
The problems you face will either defeat you or develop you—depending on how you respond to them. Unfortunately, most people fail to see how God wants to use problems for good in their lives. They react foolishly and resent their problems rather than pausing to consider what benefit they might bring.
Here are five ways God wants to use the problems in your life:

God Uses Your Problems To Direct You.
Some times, God must light a fire under you to get you moving. Problems often point us in a new direction and motivate us to change. Is God trying to get your attention? "Sometimes it takes a painful situation to make us change our ways."

God Uses Problems To Inspect You
People are like tea bags...if you want to know what's inside them, just drop them into hot water! Has God tested your faith with a problem? What do problems reveal about you? "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."

God Uses Problems To Correct You.
Some lessons we learn only through pain and failure. It's likely that as a child your parents told you not to touch a hot stove. But you probably learned by being burned. Sometimes we only learn the value of something... health, money, a relationship. .. by losing it. "It was the best thing that could have happened to me, for it taught me to pay attention to your laws."

God Uses Problems To Protect You.
A problem can be a blessing in disguise if it prevents you from
being harmed by something more serious. Last year a friend
was fired for refusing to do something unethical that his boss
had asked him to do. His unemployment was a problem - but
it saved him from being convicted and sent to prison a year
later when management's actions were eventually discovered.
"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good...”

God Uses Problems To Perfect You
Problems, when responded to correctly, are character builders. God is far more interested in your character than your comfort. Your relationship to God and your character are the only two things you're going to take with you into eternity. “We can
rejoice when we run into problems... they help us learn to be patient. As we know, patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady."

Here's the Point: God is at work in your life - even when you do not recognize it or understand it. But it's much easier and profitable when you cooperate with Him. "Success can be measured not only in achievements, but in lessons learned, lives touched, and moments shared along the way." Try to prayerfully study Psalm 23 and see yourself as either a sheep or a cow being led by its owner. When any of his flock wants to go astray, what does he do with his staff or rod? Is that punishment or correction?

Thank you, just what I needed.

Thinking about what problems I had in the past and considering these 5 ways, I can only say: right, God used my problems in any of these 5 ways.

The thing for me is: trust in the Lord, whatever you go through. Here's one of my favourites, which helps me stand straight when I face a problem: Psalm 34:17: The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.

Yes, we will face problems and troubles. But God doesn't want to punish us through them, but deliver us from them.