Can you persevere during life's painful experiences?

Genesis 41:16: "I cannot do it," Joseph replied to Pharoah, "but God will give Pharoah the answer He desires."

Joseph is a great story of perseverance for one who experienced a long period of heartache and disappointment. Joseph had been sold into slavery by his brothers at the age of 17, and he was carried away from his home land against his will to Egypt. For 13 years he experienced rejection, persecution, defamation, and ultimately imprisonment. He remained for years in jail, but he never gave up his hope in the goodness of the Lord. I'm sure that Joseph thought after being many years in prison that he had a chance to get out of jail when he interpreted the dream of the cupbearer; but when the cupbearer was restored to his position in Pharoah's palace, Joseph was again forgotten. Two additional years would pass before Joseph would be given a chance to be freed from prison. Based upon the name of his firstborn child, Manasseh (which means "forgetting trouble"), Joseph did have incredible suffering and pain during those many years; still, he remained true to the course of obedience to God and did not allow his circumstances to create a hardened heart toward God. God knew that Joseph would traverse this path, and God wanted to bless Joseph. Had Joseph turned against the Lord, the blessings that eventually came to him most likely would not have occurred. That Joseph eventually was appointed to the position of ruler just under Pharoah was a testament to God's goodness and deliverance for his faithful servant.

Would we have had a similar disposition after so many years of pain and frustration? Or would we have given up on God and lived a life of perpetual misery and bitterness toward God and our circumstances. I've heard it said that true character is revealed in times of tribulation and temptation. Who do you become when painful trials come your way? Does your faith in God sustain you through these perilous times? Or do you tend to let your circumstances dictate your attitudes toward life and even God Himself? In the verse that I quoted above, Joseph was still giving honor and credit to God, even after years of misery. Life is full of painful trials, and we will all experience them in different ways. My prayer for you is that you can rise above the pain through the power of the Holy Spirit and your response of commitment to Him.