Hope

Wounds That Are Worth It

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I don’t understand the strategy (beyond try to hit more than you’re hit), the techniques, but most of all, I don’t understand why two adults would willing stand in a ring to be punched by one another.

Most of our lives we try to avoid pain, and yet boxers purposefully put themselves in pain’s path.

It doesn’t make sense. 

I know that they are fighting for a prize, but whatever the reward is it does not seem worth the damage that they are doing to their bodies. Perhaps it’s that they focus on the intangible outcomes of winning – self-respect, achievement, perseverance – but to me, it seems like there must be a better way to obtain them.

After all, when you enter the boxing ring the outcome is unsure. You may be at the receiving end of a thunderstorm of punches and not obtain any of the rewards which you seek.

The only situation where it seems like they would be is if you already knew the outcome. If you were certain of victory, the punches and the bruises, the hurt and the agony may not matter as much. They would still cause pain, but you would know that the wounds were worth it.

Scripture often relates our walk with Christ to that of a fight (See I Tim 6:12; Eph. 6:10-18). Christ has said that there will be hurt and pain, discomfort and brokenness along the way. Yet, those wounds are worth it. Because, as my friend once remarked to me, we know that  “Jesus wins.” Our victory is assured.  Our confidence in the battle unparalleled. . Pain that comes for the sake of the Cross is still pain, but in the end, it won’t matter so much.   Because when the bell rings, and the fight is over, when the trumpet sounds and He returns, the prize will be worth the punches, His beauty will be worth the bruises, and eternity with Him will be worth the wounds sustained here.

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Hope

Burden & Blessing

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A common interview question is to ask the candidate about their greatest weakness and their greatest strength. It doesn’t take long to realize that a lot of times those are two sides of the same coins. What is often seen as a strength, can become a weakness if a person doesn’t use it appropriately or doesn’t balance it with other attributes. Someone may be a good listener, but because they are so good at listening they are reticent to speak up with their ideas. Another person may be exceptionally creative, but their desire to always think of new things keeps them from getting things done. What is seen as a gift can become a hindrance if not properly applied.

The same thing is true in the rest of our lives as well. People may be blessed with material wealth, but because they use it for the purpose of satisfying they desires, rather than pursuing God’s will, it hinders their walk with the Lord. Another may be blessed with a loving family but because they make their relationship with their family more important than their relationship with God, what should be a gift becomes an obstacle. This is why it’s so important that we keep first things, first. Otherwise we are prone to give lesser things a place of priority over that which is most crucial – knowing and loving our King.

It is also important to recognize that while we may be adept at turning good things into obstacles, God specializes in turning burdens into blessings. The things that we see as trials are often used to draw us closer to Him. The hope unfulfilled increases our dependence on Him. The time of mourning causes us to experience His nearness. The sorrows of this world grows our anticipation for the day when tears will be no more.

It’s hard to see as we are going through it. It’s hard to recognize that this pain may be used for God’s provision. But as Laura Story sings in one of my favorite songs [affiliate link] sometimes the trials of this life are His mercies in disguise. And we need to look beyond the burden in order to see the blessing.

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