There was a time when I considered challenges to be a bad thing. I saw them in a strictly negative light. Perhaps many other people do as well. However, challenges, when faced and conquered with the help of the Lord, can be extremely rewarding, ultimately life changing, character building, reassuring and even quite satisfying. They can also become stepping stones to a more substantial and affective life. Challenges, when orchestrated by God and willingly placed in His hands by trusting hearts, will overwhelm the enemy
of our soul rather than overwhelming us. I love the way Philippians 4:13 is worded in the Amplified Bible: I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me – I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me, [that is, I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency].
Not all challenges seem to be spiritual in nature. One challenge I really regret not following through on was learning to play the piano. In fifth grade, I had a player piano and lived across the hall from my music teacher. She was a very interesting elderly woman who could never remember our names correctly. She often would tap on our apartment door and call out, “Chip, Trudy, Gail…I don’t hear you practicing!” (At least she got Gail’s name right every time.) I loved to play and did practice more often than not, but not often enough. My mother, who was single and financially strapped at that time, sold the piano in order to pay the rent (and possibly to save her ears from further harm). The situation was out of my control when I was a fifth grader, but regrettably I passed up on another chance at the piano as a young adult. I adopted the attitude “Why bother trying again?”
This morning I was working in our church. All others had left the building. I slipped up to the piano to disinfect the keys but ended up trying to remember some of the things I had learned as a child. (Okay, I confess, today wasn’t the first time I played with the ivories when I was supposed to be cleaning.) I missed one note after another. What I did remember clearly was my piano teacher’s words to three children who were more interested in playing games than working on scales. I sounded terrible, and was thankful no one was around who could hear me except God. Still, it really felt good to sit at a piano again. I dusted off pleasant memories as I cleaned the keys.
To some degree, I believe the majority of challenges are spiritual in nature whether they seem to be or not. Consider what Paul wrote to the Colossians. Colossians 3:23 (NIV) Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men. While this particular scripture was addressing workers, I feel it may also apply to life in general. What we do with challenges, large or small, can be used to glorify God. For example, I am a writer and have written many poems as well as the devotions. What
if I had taken on the challenge to learn about music and stuck with it? Even if I never became skillful enough to play in the church myself, I might have gained experience in writing music. Maybe God could have used me to encourage people through songs played and sang by others. Did I limit my ability to
influence lives for His kingdom by running from His challenge rather than facing it? Quite possibly!
I failed that challenge, but God has a tendency to give us second chances; even seventy-seventh chances if need be. God has helped me face and master other useful challenges since that time, and because growth is high on His agenda, I am sure there will be more. I am voting for easy ones, but He knows what
is best. Even if my Lord leads me into the sort of challenge I do not want, I know it will have a good result if I trust Him. He knows exactly what I need and what He wants me to do to touch the lives of others. There is no need to perceive new challenges with trepidation or anxiety. Romans 8:28 (NIV) And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. You see, He cares about what is good for us and what is good for the children of His kingdom as a whole; you know, the others who love Him.
I know I can trust God. I challenge you to trust Him too.