「你們是為了基督的緣故蒙恩，…得以為祂受苦，」－腓立比書1:29
因此巴克斯特曾說：「神哪，為著這五十八年身體的鍛鍊我感謝你。」然而，他不是唯一一個化苦難為勝利的人。
天父的學校即將就要結束了，學期的尾聲也迫在眉間；千萬不要躲避艱深的課業，也不要在教鞭的督促下而喪膽。
那日，我們頭上冠冕將更輝煌、天上居所將更美善；所以，我們今日需歡喜忍受，迎接將來榮耀畢業的時刻。
－克威勒
世上最精美的瓷器，至少需要經過火三次的鍛鍊，有的甚至不只三次。德國德勒斯登的瓷器，就需要經過火三次的焚燒。
為什麼需要經過熾熱的烈焰呢？一次不夠嗎？兩次應該夠了吧？非得經過三次嗎？
這乃是因為，唯獨經過三次，瓷器上黃金和朱紅的色澤，才能牢牢地熔在美麗的瓷器上。
按著同樣的原則，我們的生命也如此被神塑造。因著神的恩典，試煉一次又一次焚燒我們，使絢爛的色彩得以永遠烙在我們心裡。
－邁爾斯
"Unto you it is given . . .to suffer" (Phil. 1:29).God keeps a costly school. Many of its lessons are spelled out through tears. Richard Baxter said, "O God, I thank Thee for a bodily discipline of eight and fifty years"; and he is not the only man who has turned a trouble into triumph.
This school of our Heavenly Father will soon close for us; the term time is shortening every day. Let us not shrink from a hard lesson or wince under any rod of chastisement. The richer will be the crown, and the sweeter will be Heaven, if we endure cheerfully to the end and graduate in glory.--Theodore L. Cuyler
The finest china in the world is burned at least three times, some of it more than three times. Dresden china is always burned three times. Why does it go through that intense fire? Once ought to be enough; twice ought to be enough. No, three times are necessary to burn that china so that the gold and the crimson are brought out more beautiful and then fastened there to stay.
We are fashioned after the same principle in human life. Our trials are burned into us once, twice, thrice; and by God's grace these beautiful colors are there and they are there to stay forever.--Cortland Myers
