In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
1 Peter 1:6-7
Nothing worth the effort is easy in acquisition. When I am working out, I have found that the most challenging exercises are the ones that involve multiple muscles – things like squats, deadlifts and the like – but ironically, these are the ones that result in the best overall gains.
Don’t avoid the difficult things because they are difficult. Challenge builds character. Whenever we take short cuts, we inevitably run into more difficulty. Whether it’s the difficult conversation or the difficult amends, there is growth on the other side of these activities that lays a foundation for the next challenge…..because guess what…… as long as we are breathing, the challenges and trials don’t stop.
When you are faced with a tough situation, instead of procrastinating or avoiding, ask God for strength and wisdom – "Lord, what are you trying to teach me through this?" Get others involved to pray for you. Surround yourself with people who don’t avoid things – the best thing I ever did for myself was to get a workout coach. He showed me the proper way to do an exercise, so that it doesn’t feel as difficult as it looks – do the same!
As Peter challenges us in the passage above, Go for the gold!
