In this snippet we are looking at the way to overcome trials. Often the challenges we face can get in the way of our efforts to become who we were created to be.
A famous line from Winston Churchill summarizes what should be our response in the midst of trials. He said: “Never, never, never, never give up.”
Facing the Nazi threat in Europe and in the midst of World War II, Churchill said a great deal of great things that are inspiring for us in the midst of facing trials. A few of my favorites include the following:
“Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm.”
“Success is not final... Failure is not fatal... It's the courage to continue that counts.”
“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”
“If you're going through hell, keep going.”
Comparing what we face to the leadership it took to defeat the Nazis may seem a bit extreme, but we all face trials – big and small. What is a small challenge to some of us may be a big challenge for others of us. Often we learn from the challenges we face so that we are more prepared whatever comes our way next. We can also learn from those who have overcome much to help us in the midst of our struggles.
Overview of A Fruitful Life
“A Fruitful Life: Becoming Who We Were Created to Be” explores how developing the four skills Jesus shared in the parable of the soils can help us make progress in our spiritual journey.
The "Becoming Receptive" snippet addresses the ability to hear God’s voice and discover our calling. According to Jesus, we were created with unlimited potential in the area of spiritual influence as part of His New Kingdom. Our fears, weaknesses, past mistakes, regrets, background, and the trials we face do not have to keep us from being fruitful – being transformed and transforming others in dramatic ways.
The main question from the "Becoming Receptive" snippet is "What is God calling you to do?" This could involve a calling in life or an invitation to do something specific today. You can discover your calling going through a process for discerning God's voice in your life that includes the supernatural, external, and internal clues God gives us.
In this snippet, we are looking at developing the skill of tenacity. We are looking to move from a shallow faith to a deep faith - to overcome trials by becoming tenacious.
The key question is this: What trials have kept you from living out your calling? In other words, what has happened to you that keeps you from moving forward?
In the story of the soils, Jesus describes the second soil in this way:
Matthew 13
5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root…. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.”
Do you give up when things get tough? Consider your relationships or your career: do you jump from job to job and from relationship to relationship? If so, you may be living with a shallow faith. Perhaps unintentionally, you've allowed yourself to become a victim to your circumstances.
Some of us quit way too soon. Some of us are facing some incredible hardships, but with God’s help we can prevail.
Here's how we can become tenacious: