hardship

We all love suffering and brokenness, right? Have you ever noticed that our society has an aversion to pain and if you’re like me, you do, too. We over medicate against it. We’ll go to great lengths to avoid it or at least lessen it. We even try to distract ourselves, so that we feel less pain.

Confession time. My dentist’s office has a television mounted in the ceiling above every one of their patient chairs. It’s one of the main reasons I’ve been going to them for 20 years. They can clean or fix my teeth while I’m distracted from the pain they’re inflicting on me. It’s great!

Several years ago, our family went on our usual 5,000-kilometer summer road trip to Alberta and Saskatchewan to visit family. While staying with my wife’s parents, I asked my father-in-law, a self-taught mechanic, whether he would be interested in fixing an oil leak on our van. He looked at me and said, “No, but I’ll supervise you while you fix it.” I’m sure I had a look of horror on my face as I responded, “Ohhh…kay.”

So, the big day came. We started taking pieces off to get to the cam seals and of course, while we were at it, the timing belt because once you get that far, you might as well keep going. After a full day of taking things apart, we got to the right spot and put in new seals and the belt. I was pretty pumped until I looked at my father-in-law’s workbench that was filled with parts that somehow had to get back into our van. My anxiety level began to skyrocket as I realized that I wasn’t sure how everything was supposed to go back together.

Life is sometimes like that workbench, strewn with various pieces that we’re supposed to somehow put together. Yet, we don’t know how. Life can be confusing, complex, chaotic. How’s this all going to work out?

Let me tell you, I was so glad that my father-in-law was there to supervise and help me put our van back together. And you know what, we did it!

Mature spiritual leadership is forged in the crucible of difficult conversations, the pressure of conflicted relationships, the pain of setbacks, and dark nights of the soul. — Peter Scazzero

The school of hard knocks has a way of teaching us deep lessons. 

James encourages us to be joyful when we encounter difficulties. The reason: the testing of our faith produces endurance, which leads to spiritual maturity (James 1:2-4).

Peter shares the same view. He says that trials refine our faith (1 Peter 1:6-7).

Paul reminds us that "our light and momentary troubles" are producing eternal benefits that far outweigh the discomfort of the moment (2 Corinthians 4:17).

Yet, how do we respond well to life's challenges? The writer of Hebrews encourages us to endure hardship as discipline (Hebrews 12:7). It's important to recognize that the writer is not saying that all hardship is discipline; he's simply asking us to view it in that way—to see difficulty as an opportunity to learn and grow.

I like to golf. I'm not the best golfer in the world—a fact that was clearly demonstrated during one of our annual Wollf Golf Tournaments. One of the tee boxes had foot-high hedges that stretched for about 20 feet along either side. I promptly drove my first ball into one of those hedges. It was embarrassing, but those ball-sucking hedges were not done with me yet. I drove five balls into their clutches. As I went to retrieve my fifth ball (now lying 10 shots and not even off the tee yet), my dad and brother overhead me muttering, "What is God trying to teach me?"  

Even though I can't remember how deeply I was pondering the question at the time, it's not a bad question to ask both on and off the golf course.

The writer of Hebrews goes on to talk about our loving Father who disciplines us for our good, that we may share in His holiness. It's a painful process. Yet, it can produce a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

We are trained by life when we humbly respond to both painful and pleasant circumstance and earnestly seek to learn God's lessons from both. This often requires prayerful processing guided by Scripture, the Holy Spirit, and the wisdom of supportive confidants.

I am told that Caribbean pine trees routinely withstand fierce hurricanes, long periods of drought, and even fire. But one thing they cannot tolerate is cultivation. In a well-kept yard with plenty of water and fertilizer, they often die.

We need adversity to grow stronger in Christ.

As Helen Keller testified: