Through Struggle, We Become Stronger and more stable
“If you faint in the day of adversity, then your strength is small,” says in Proverbs 24:10.
You are refined and tested by the adversities that life throws at you. If you have faith in God, the difficult times in your life will make you stronger. As a result, we shouldn’t cower when confronted with challenging circumstances. The following can be learned from the first verses of the book of James:
“When you are faced with adversity of any kind, my brothers, count it all joy because you are well aware that the testing of your faith is what ultimately produces perseverance. “And let steadfastness have its full effect, in order that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2-4)
Unhappily, a sizeable proportion of self-professed Christians in today’s world appear to harbor the unrealistic expectation that once a person puts their faith in Jesus, their life will become less challenging and more pleasurable, and that God will shield them from the annoyances and challenges that inevitably arise in the course of living.
Obviously, this is not the gospel that Jesus preached. Scripture does not contain any such promises from the Lord. In the face of adversity, many Christians are quick to ask, “Why me?” or “How could God let this happen?” Confusion, anger, and uncertainty are the results of this.
And a significant amount of strain.
What compels people to put their faith in Jesus Christ? Is it to get saved and be happy and have God protect them from the annoyances and challenges of life, or is it to serve Christ as Lord and be an agent of the Kingdom of God in the midst of a fallen and broken world?
James chapter one continues by saying, “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” This is a promise that God has made to those who love him. (James 1:12)
James encourages us to keep our composure in the face of adversity by reiterating the idea that the turbulence we experience in life serves as a test. Your job is to respond to those tests by trusting God, praying and asking the Lord for wisdom, and appropriating the blessings and power that God makes available to you in Christ. You can do all of these things by focusing on Christ. Any other response demonstrates a lack of faith and disobedience on the part of the Christian.
Let us be clear that it is not our own strength that gives us the ability to remain steadfast in the midst of trials; rather, it is the strength of the Lord that we appropriate by faith. Let us also be clear that self-strength is not what gives us the ability to remain steadfast in the midst of trials. This is exactly what was covered in the sixth chapter of Ephesians: “Be strong in the Lord, and in the power that the Lord has given you,” the Bible says. Put on all the armor that God has provided for you, so that you will be able to stand against the schemes that the devil is planning.
However, we should not be under the impression that trusting God and drawing on his strength does not require significant effort on our part. It is not a dormant faith; rather, it is an active faith. You can refer to it as faith that is driven by discipline, or you can call it faith that is driven by discipline, but in either case, the reality is the same. You must have faith in God and pray as a response to the difficulties that life throws at you. You must also develop your skills and behave in a disciplined manner. Finally, you must be relentless in your pursuit of these things. When you put your faith into action, the Lord will meet you there and give you the strength you need. This is how each stage of the process is carried out.
It is necessary for a Christian to endure the stress of the trials of life in order to build spiritual strength and endurance. In the same way that an athlete must endure physical stress in order to build physical strength and endurance, it is necessary for a Christian to endure the stress of the trials of life. One of the lessons that can be taken from training the body can also be applied to training the spirit: Go to failure. When an athlete performs repetitions of an exercise until he or she reaches their limit, they build their maximum strength as well as their endurance. This indicates that he will continue to perform repetitions until he merely is unable to muster any more strength. He is doomed to disappointment.
The majority of athletes never push themselves to their limits. They gave up at the first sign of any significant pain or discomfort. Even though they are in pain, the best athletes, also known as the elite, continue to perform repetitions of a given exercise until they are physically unable to do so. They train to the point of exhaustion. This trait, which I refer to as “productive discomfort,” is one of the distinguishing characteristics of top-tier competitors. In addition to this, it is a distinguishing feature of those who are committed to following Christ.
Continue moving forward even if you find yourself in a challenging situation. Keep trusting God and keep going. Embrace the discomfort that comes from doing something productive and keep doing the reps required to obey God’s word. And this is what will take place: God will come to you at the moment of your greatest defeat. When all of your strength is gone and you simply are unable to complete another rep, the Lord will supply you with his strength and power at that precise moment.
The existence of adversaries is a given. In addition to this, it is unavoidable. Although nobody wants it, everyone will end up with it. The most important question is, “How will you react?” Don’t flinch when you’re in the middle of the storm. Have faith in the Lord, who is the one who made you, redeemed you, and called you to be with him. Put your faith in the resurrected Christ, who braved the torments of the cross without flinching and went on to triumph over even death itself.
“It is for this reason that I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you the ability to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being. I pray that this may be so that you may be saved.” (Ephesians 3:14-16)