Challenge Yourself
It is very easy to get comfortable. To build up your life exactly how you want it to be. Minimize inconveniences and hand off the stuff you don’t like to do. To find what you enjoy, where you enjoy it, and never leave.
The Apostle Luke relates Jesus’ parable of the rich young fool.
“And he told them this parable: ‘The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, “What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.” ‘Then he said, “This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, ‘You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.’”’” (Luke 12:16-19, NIV)
That night the rich man died and left everything behind. To this situation Jesus replied:
“This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:21, NIV)
In the book of Revelation John relates how the church in Laodicea also became complacent.
“You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” (Revelation 3:17, NIV)
A velvet rut is what this is called. It is nice, but the comfort tricks you into thinking that you are not stuck.
The Stoics, as well as the early Christians, knew that this was a kind of death. As soon as you stop growing, you start dying. Or at least, you become more vulnerable to the swings of fate and fortune. Seneca talked repeatedly about the importance of adversity. Not only of embracing the struggle life throws at us but actively seeking out that difficulty so you can become stronger, better, and more prepared. A person who has never been challenged, who always gets their way, is a tragic figure. They have no idea of what they are capable. They are not even close to fulfilling their potential.
James, Jesus’ brother and the leader of the Church in Jerusalem, wrote of adversity.
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4, NIV)
The Apostle Paul also wrote about this in his letter to the Roman Christians.
“. . . we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” (Romans 5:3-4, NIV)
So, that leaves you with something to think about today: Are you challenging yourself? Do the choices you make push you or do they help you atrophy? Are you in a velvet rut?
In response to the condition of the Church in Laodicea, they were admonished thusly:
“I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.” (Revelation 3:18, NIV)
The refining process is not easy but it produces pure gold. Gold that allows you to buy the spiritual salve enabling you to see the world for what it is.
Be honest with yourself and then challenge yourself to do better, to do more. Remember, you are not in this alone.
“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19, NIV)
“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” (Isaiah 40:29, NIV)
What say you man of Valor?
Adapted from “Daily Stoic” Email, 10 May 2023