The goal

Pain, suffering, trials, hardships, battles....those are not words that I like. I'd love for life to be all "sunshine and roses" but it's not, and it isn't ever going to be. Of course, as I go through trials, God is ALWAYS faithful to remind me of my ultimate goal....becoming a better servant of Christ. His Word is a constant reminder to press on toward that goal, and take joy in the process of being refined by the Holy Spirit.


I read something in 2 Timothy that talks about this same thing: "Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs—he wants to please his commanding officer. Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules. The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this."

Okay, so at first, I didn't really understand that passage, but as I've been thinking on it, I've got a few ideas.

Not only does Paul mention the goal of each of these three people, but he's looking at the process of getting to the goal.

The soldiers goal? Pleasing his commanding officer. How does he get there? By not becoming sidetracked with "civilian affairs".

The athletes goal? Receiving the victor's crown. How does he get there? By competing by the rules.

The farmer's goal? Receiving a share of the crops. How does he get there? Hard work.

Back up to the begining of the passage....what is our goal? Becoming good soldier of Christ. How do we get there? Hardships.

Trials, suffering and pain are part of the process, leading to the goal of becoming a better servant of Christ. So, as it says in James 1: 2-3 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance."

So there you go. Trials aren't SO bad....they're just the means to a better end....being a stronger follower of Christ! Amen? That is something to be joyful about.