Like all of you, I try to live me life as best I can – according to the Bible.  I pray, I go to church,  abide by the commandments (as best I can), I give of my time, money and effort.   This list of “doing right” could go on and on.  Yet, in my life, I still suffer.

At face value, you would think that “living rightly” would mean you wouldn’t have difficulties.  Things should be easy for me if I live correctly.  You would think, “good things will happen to me because I’m living the way I’m supposed to…”  Well, believe it or not, but the only time you won’t have any stress in your life, is when you’ve passed from this life!

Maybe, just maybe,  there’s a reason we all go through difficulties.  The past few weeks, our church Pastor has been preaching on “excellence in character.” Our character isn’t made by difficulties, it is revealed.  If you remember something I wrote a while back, I truly believe the mark of a good person starts when you realize you can’t control situations – you can only control the way you’re going to react.  It’s the difficulties in our lives that allow us to rely upon God, and not ourselves, and allow the process of our character to be revealed.

Here’s a few verses to consider-

1 Peter 5:10

And, after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory in Christ ²² will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.  We should therefore expect to have difficulties and challenges in our lives – it’s the only way we’ll grow.

Martial arts – I’m sure by now you’ve found at least 1 aspect of your training difficult – if not, let me know.  When you find yourself not able to execute a hoshin sul correctly, or a form is just difficult to understand and do well, remember it’s persevering through “the process” of learning and being challenged that allows your character to grow.

II Corinthians 12: 9-10

12:9 But ¹⁰ he said to me, “My grace is enough ¹¹ for you, for my ¹² power is made perfect ¹³ in weakness.” So then, I will boast most gladly ¹⁴ about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may reside in ¹⁵ me. 12:10 Therefore I am content with ¹⁶ weaknesses, with insults, with troubles, with persecutions and difficulties ¹⁷ for the sake of Christ, for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.

Martial arts – although martial arts is considered an individual activity, where you earn “belts or degrees” based on your effort – it’s not entirely up to you.  You need to rely upon others to become better – think about your training.  You start by doing things by yourself, and progressively you do more and more drills with partners.  Your training now almost entirely consists of working with someone.  You ask, “So what?”  Well, you have to rely upon your partners to become better than you could by yourself.  Doing your hoshin sul in the mirror will only take you so far.  You need to understand your weaknesses and strengths.  Use your strengths to help build each other up, focus on your weaknesses to build your character (ie., make your reverse hook kick excellent on both sides).

1 Peter 2:20

…But if you do good and suffer and so endure, this finds favor with God. ⁴⁵ 2:21 For to this you were called, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving an example for you to follow in his steps. 2:22 He ⁴⁶ committed no sin nor was deceit found in his mouth. ⁴⁷ 2:23 When he was maligned, he ⁴⁸ did not answer back; when he suffered, he threatened ⁴⁹ no retaliation, ⁵⁰ but committed himself to God ⁵¹ who judges justly. 2:24 He ⁵² himself bore our sins ⁵³ in his body on the tree, that we may cease from sinning ⁵⁴ and live for righteousness. By his ⁵⁵ wounds ⁵⁶ you were healed. ⁵⁷ 2:25 For you were going astray like sheep ⁵⁸ but now you have turned back to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.

We should expect difficulties.  We should be thankful for the opportunity to endure hardship for Christ’s sake.  Lastly, we should trust that God will restore us as it says in I Peter above.

My hope is you take hold of challenges – go “through” them instead of around them, and rely upon God to build your character through your situations, rather than relying on your own strength and understanding.