Do you enjoy a good challenge?
Planning your efforts, considering any obstacles, and securing the resources are a good start for the endeavor. Then, following through with your plan while adjusting to unforeseen circumstances contributes to the success!
There are challenges in all sorts of life endeavors and to varying degrees. There are house projects and meal planning and new puppy training and child raising and activity planning and relationship building. The list goes on!
Going through challenges builds character, doesn’t it? For Christians, there’s more to that.
Persevering through challenges deepens our faith and strengthens our relationship with God. Keeping our eyes on those gains – on Christ himself – encourages us as we tackle what God wants to see us through. In doing so, we grow in godliness, and “godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:8b NIV).
Going through challenges is worth the effort when you allow God to be in control.
We serve the mighty God who loves us greatly! In knowing him, he provides everything we need to live a godly life (2 Peter 1:3). Therefore, determine to:
“make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:5-8 NIV).
In our spiritual challenges, God will be with us. As we seek him and his will, he will direct us, support us, and encourage us along the way. He gives us himself, his Word, and his body of believers. He gives us his wisdom, his peace, and his victory! As Paul reminds us in Hebrews 10:36, “You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised” (NIV).
The main victory as we go through life is to remain faithful to Jesus, to abide in him. This is a challenge, because in this world the enemy wants our relationships with God severed, with people fractured, and with self defeated.
But remember – Jesus is victorious and he shares his victory with us!
May we “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him… being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy” (Colossians 1:10-11 ESV).
Working through a Heart Training book daily helps you keep your eyes on Jesus as you go through life.