Heroes Embrace Hardship

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
James 1:2-4 (NIV)

I realize this might not be the word you hoped to hear today. It always feels better to hear someone tell us our hardships are about to end. I've prayed many times for God to remove difficulty from my life and make things “easier.” And while the Lord does graciously bestow His favor and help us to overcome, He also walks with us through the hardships that we must embrace from time to time. 

Here’s the silver lining: doing difficult stuff will prepare you to do stuff that others can’t. Heroes run to what others run from! I’m personally falling in love with doing things that push me closer to God and require me to grow. We live in a day and age where everyone wants everything quickly, powerfully, and with minimal cost. Hardship, endurance, perseverance, and maturity are countercultural to that idea, and they are exactly how God develops us into the heroes He has destined us to become. 

Consider it pure joy (greatly valued and appreciated) when you face trials of many kinds (tests that develop you into who you are called to be). As a matter of fact, why not take ten seconds and thank the Father for the trials of perseverance you are facing right now?! After all, He is using them to transform you. 

Let's decide that we will not give up on Christ, others, and our purpose any longer! Our faith is producing a supernatural endurance we’ve never experienced before. Perseverance is maturing us into Holy Ghost warriors for the Kingdom of God! We are becoming the heroes we are called to be. Please don’t shy away or back down from the challenges…run to them. People will look up to you when they see you run to battles that others run from!