The Necessity of Challenges

 "Why are challenges necessary for a successful life?" This was the closing meditation question at the end of my devotional reading this morning.  It is interesting that this question popped up around the time when I have been thinking about earthly v. spiritual success in relation to Dylan's challenging and disappointing basketball season.  

I think the reason challenges are necessary for a successful life has to do with God's goals for our lives...for our time on this earth.  And I believe His main goal is to develop our soul, our character as a spiritual being while in the flesh.  

The battles we fight against our conflicting desires are all aimed at a life blooming with the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5: 22)...a mind filled with whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable...(Philippians 4: 8)...a heart that recognizes that rejoicing in our suffering is not foolishness, but it is the way to produce endurance, and that endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (Romans 5:3-5)  

Simply put, without the struggle, we don't grow...our wings don't develop...Monarch butterflies, right?

Just like gold is refined by the fire...it is in the challenges when we find out who we really are, and what we need to change.  It is in our hardship and suffering that we become closer to Our Lord.  It is in the times of darkness, when we seek the Light.  It is in our loneliness that we find His Presence.  It is in our heartache when we feel His Loving Mercy and Compassion.  It is in our loss, when we gain Him. 

Thinking about Dylan and his "challenging" basketball season, through all the frustration and disappointment, I believe that the reason for that was because Our Lord is not interested in making Dylan a successful basketball player.  He wants to make him a successful man of God.

Life is hard, indeed.  There are moments when we are crushed and hurt.  But we pray that our moments of struggle may have a purpose even if we can't see it.  May our suffering produce in us the fruits of what Our Lord so lovingly planted.  May the Holy Spirit guide us through the rough patches along our road.  In the Precious Name of Our Savior, Jesus the Christ, Our Ever Present Help and Companion in our times of trouble.  Amen!