No one likes to be challenged, yet, they are an inevitable aspect of life. Challenges are necessary. Though we may not naturally like them, we can grow to spiritually identify and appreciate them, as they are beneficial to our necessary growth. With God, we can: (1) Have the right mindset toward challenges; (2) Accurately identify them in our lives; and lastly, (3) We can respond appropriately.
Challenges are Necessary
1. Challenges humble us.
One of the primary benefits of challenges is that they humble us. Though we do not like the feeling of being humbled, humility is good. There are countless scriptures that speak of humility for the Christian.
Here are a few:
“The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility.” – Proverbs 15:33
“Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.” – Proverbs 16:18-19
“Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:” – I Peter 5:5-6
We tend to dislike challenges because of how they make us feel, however, that feeling of humility is good for us. It doesn’t have to feel good to be good.
2. Challenges make us dependent.
Initially, I was going to write: Challenges make us dependent on God. That, however, is not correct. Challenges make us dependent, yet, we have a choice on who or what we depend. This is why our choices when we feel vulnerable are soooo important. There are threats all around us that will attack us when we are vulnerable. As Christians, we can never forget that we have an enemy who constantly seeks whom he can devour [I Peter 5:8].
For that reason, when we are challenged, we must make a choice to depend on God. We cannot depend on our own understanding, we cannot depend on others, we cannot depend on other variables or stimulation. Nothing else will do. We must depend on God.
When we are challenged, we must depend on God.
3. Challenges strengthen us.
As we depend on God when we are challenged, we will find that He is using those very things that are making us feel inadequate or frustrated, to strengthen us. God uses the very things that the enemy may use to harm us, to bless us! He is that good! That is something that has really excited me this year.
Sometimes we think: When I get through this, things will be better. When in reality, often times, the very thing that is challenging us is good for us! This is where a champion mindset kicks in and begins to love the challenge that God is using to strengthen us. It’s all spiritual. Naturally, we may not like challenges, but as we mature spiritually, we will begin to appreciate what they do for us.
Challenges strengthen us.
4. Challenges change us.
As we allow challenges to humble us and motivate us to depend on God, we will find how God uses them to strengthen us and change us. As I look back on recent challenges that I’ve faced, I can honestly say that I am not the same person that I was when first encountering the challenge.
Life is literally a series of challenges. Of course, it is not all challenges, but challenges are a big aspect. Not all are big, but even throughout the course of a day, we will find ourselves challenged in numerous ways. Challenges can be identified by things not going our way, situations or people not meeting our expectations, or being offended or angered by something or someone. How we respond when challenged, will determine the role that the challenge plays in our life.
We do not want to find ourselves reacting to the same challenge in the same unproductive way. Instead, we want to begin to notice a change within ourselves with how we respond when triggered.
Challenges change us.
5. Challenges conform us.
I’m smiling as I type this. Challenges conform us to the image of Christ. I smile because the goal is beautiful, and I also smile as I’ve walked through/wrote through the realization.
Through all the stress, frustration, depression, and other emotions that we often resort to when challenged; we must know that challenges in life aim to make us more like Christ.
We all have a shell. A sinful shell that has been shaped by our hurts, experiences, and past traumas. This shell causes us to act in ways that are contrary to God’s way. Therefore, He must prune us [John 15]. He, in His sovereignty, uses whatever circumstances He desires in order to reshape us and conform us into the people that we are meant to be. His Son, Jesus Christ, provides a perfect example for every Christian.
Galatians 5 also provides us with a description of the works of the flesh, as well as a description of the fruit of the Spirit. Galatians 5:22
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”
When we keep our eyes on the goal [Jesus Christ] when we are challenged, and not on the challenge itself; we will find that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us [Philippians 4:13]. As we do this, we will begin to experience His power at work within us, giving us the power to overcome [and be strengthened by] everything that challenges us!
He is able!
