Challenges Build the Muscles

We have so many challenges in this life, its good that we can see those snippets of time when things are lovely for a few minutes or hours and praise God for them.

The real test though is when we can see the difficult things as being blessings too. Knowing that the hardest times are when we learn the most if we are willing to learn. They are the times that build our spiritual and emotional muscle.

Those who do not learn turn bitter and angry, their spiritual and emotional muscles are weak and getting weaker. Those who learn move through the hard things with Christ stronger than ever.


Sometimes it is a strain to look through the hard things to the other side. We can't see the other side, so we must be fixated on the Word of God to trust that what is over there is some relief and a greater reward.

One has to break down the muscle to build it strong again. Any weight lifter will tell you that in order to build big muscles one has to damage the muscle first so that it becomes stronger when it heals.

God operates this way too, He brings challenges to show us what is inside of us. If anger comes out then there is more work for God to do. If we respond with thanksgiving and calmness then God will hone that to a greater level of trust in Him.

He breaks us to mend us stronger than we were before. We need to see our need to be able to confess our flaws so that Christ can heal our spiritual and emotional weakness.

James 1:2-8
2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,
3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.
7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;
8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."

Job 2:10 "10“You speak as a foolish woman speaks,” he told her. “Should we accept from God only good and not adversity?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said."

Job knew what he was talking about. Few people have lost as much as Job lost and suffered as much as he did and yet he maintained his integrity with God and with others.