Breaking Through

“Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”

James 1:12

A few months ago, I was lamenting a particular aspect of my life that I was viewing as a hindrance, and found myself saying that I could reach my destiny if not for this obstacle. Then the Lord told me that this “obstacle” is the pathway to my destiny: reaching my destiny depends on my learning how to properly deal with this issue.

I thought back over the previous six months, and could recall three different areas where I ran into significant obstacles, but pushed through and am now experiencing more life as a result. In each of theses areas I had come close to giving up.

Where is the easy road? I don’t see it in my life, nor have I seen it in the lives of anyone else. I rarely see a clear path to the horizon that is my future: sometimes it looks like a wall – the obstacle is clearly in focus, and if the wall is high enough, I doubt a future on the other side. Other times life is like a fog – I can’t see the goal or the hindrances clearly. And still other times I feel like I can see where I’m headed, but I have to struggle to move forward – as if I were wading in tar.

But every time I’ve persevered and pushed through, I reached a new level in a significant area of life. It was well worth the effort and I wonder why it took me so long to decide to go for it.

Life is not just a destination, but a process. Yes, it’s an obstacle course, but the “obstacles” are not there to stop me, but the strengthen me. As I am now, I am not ready for the destination.

I expect that we will encounter many “walls” in our journeys, and each one presents us with a choice: stay where we are, or push through. It may be more comfortable to stay put, but it is a choice for stagnation and ultimately death. To push through is the choice for growth and life, for the world is always bigger and life better on the other side of the wall.