Sometimes life calls us to some uncomfortable situations. This can be for a few reasons.
For example, the reward may be greater than the pain involved:
Either way, there have been countless times on this trip that I have been placed in uncomfortable situations. I have been faced with the option of taking the “easy” route, which often involves avoidance, looking the other way, or just dismissing the problem as a problem at all. I choose the challenge if it means growth. Christ has not called us to live in naivety or to a life that is light and fluffy, void of pain, hurt, humility, or discomfort. He has called us to bring truth. Truth can often look more like a sword than a hug.
This morning I was dealing with the mental aftermath of one such conversation. I opened “My Utmost For His Highest” and read today’s entry. SLAP! A little bit of confirmation for the soul. Oswald Chambers was writing from John 3:29-30 and references Matthew 10:34. He speaks about allowing fellow Christians to go through uncomfortable situations and not shield them from it if it is God’s will. It was an excellent reminder to me and gave me more peace knowing that I was acting out of a desire to be in Christ’s will.
Life is full of challenges. The Christian walk sometimes even amplifies those challenges because it is not about having an easy life, but a life of growth and modeling so that we look more and more like Jesus on a daily basis. After all, we are meant to deny ourselves, pick up our “cross”–or death instrument–daily, and follow Christ.
