“That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:10

The conditions we are under shape the type of human that we become. Difficulties and hardships throughout our lives are the only things that can make us stronger and more capable humans. The pain we face will pass in time so we must learn to embrace discomfort and look ahead to the overall improvement of ourselves in our faith and as a person. Through the inevitable difficulties and pain in our lives we must lean on our faith. God is the only guaranteed route to success; we grow in our faith when we learn to surrender all of our strife to Him. Our weakness and wounds are openings in which the light of God's glory can shine. Embrace today's hardship in preparation for your full potential cloaked in God's eternal righteousness.

In 2 Corinthians 4:7, Paul talks about how our present troubles are small and do not last long. He explains that these tiny problems produce for us glory that lasts forever. This puts in perspective how small our everyday problems are when compared to an eternity in paradise. We mustn't dwell on the challenges we face every day but give our time and energy to our Father in heaven who will direct us through any trials we come across. We must realize that these hardships are creating our path to heaven and that the pain we feel now cannot compare to the pure joy that awaits us in eternity.

I invite you to reflect on any troubles you may be having in your life. I hope that you can view these stressors from a new angle. Once you understand that God is by your side every step of the way you can live a more calm and wholesome life with complete trust in Him. In my life, I enact this trust in my sport of lacrosse. Before any game I say a small prayer asking for a safe, and fair environment and remind myself that God will be by my side the whole time. These prayers calm me in the midst of many stressors. I ask you to give up your troubles to God and hold the understanding that these “problems” are the building blocks of your faith and an eternity with our Father.

Prayer: God, help us this week to become comfortable being uncomfortable. Allow us to seek hardships in pursuit of our full potential as Christians and humans. Please allow us to understand how small our problems are when compared to our spot in the Kingdom of Heaven for eternity. Amen.