Do problems abound in your life? Does it seem that your life is just one challenge after another? Take heart; the only people who don’t have troubles are in cemeteries. In reality, the life of a Christian would be for the worse if not for them.
Steve Goodier shared the following story: Maybe you have seen the Great Barrier Reef, stretching some 1,800 miles from New Guinea to Australia. Tour guides regularly take visitors to view the reef. On one tour, the guide was asked an interesting question. “I notice that the lagoon side of the reef looks pale and lifeless, while the ocean side is vibrant and colorful”, a traveler observed. “Why is this?”
The guide gave an interesting answer: “The coral around the lagoon side is in still water, with no challenge for its survival. It dies early. The coral on the ocean side is constantly being tested by wind, waves, and storms-surges of power. It must fight for survival every day. As it is challenged and tested it changes and adapts. It grows healthy and strong, and it reproduces.” Then he added this telling note: “That’s the way it is with every living organism.”
For Christians, physical demands increase bodily strength. Mental and emotional stress produce tough-mindedness and resilience. Likewise, spiritual testing strengthens our faith (James 1:2-7). The benefit? We live by faith rather than by sight (2 Cor. 5:7). Let us value God’s wisdom in providing the means whereby we can escape the corruption that is in the world by lust. It is called ‘adding’ to our faith (2 Peter 1:4-9).
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