Overcoming

One way to go through life is to turn away from the things that are hard. You can take the easy way, forgoing difficulty whenever possible. Or you can choose to see hardship as an opportunity, as a test or a trial, rather than as an obstacle. It offers a chance to make yourself smarter, stronger, and better. The Apostle James put it this way:

^“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2-4, ESV)

Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius wrote in Meditations,

“Our actions may be impeded, but there can be no impeding our intentions or dispositions. Because we can accommodate and adapt.”

He concluded that there is a simple formula for overcoming, and even thriving, in any negative situation we may encounter in life.

• The obstacles offer opportunities.
• What stands in the way offers a pathway.

In every problem, there are opportunities for growth. We can take seemingly overwhelming situations and triumph over them. While this philosophy is beneficial, the Christian has something in addition.

“The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” (Philippians 4:5b-6, ESV)

There is an opportunity in every obstacle, because every obstacle provides the opportunity to practice virtue. Courage, endurance, selflessness, kindness, and decency can transform even the most difficult and heartbreaking moments of life.

“Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:3-5, ESV)

This is also true of success as much as it is of adversity. Success usually comes with stress, distractions, and temptations. How critical it is, then, to still be humble, disciplined, generous, kind, and decent. You must continue to hold true to your values as you achieve great things.

“For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1:5-8, ESV)

It is challenging, but this is the proper way. Those who walk this path will eventually learn that it is as deeply rewarding as it is challenging. You don’t achieve ultimate victory by overcoming the world or others. You achieve victory by overcoming yourself. Whether in failure or success, you achieve ultimate victory by choosing virtue. By doing only what the Spirit calls you to, rather than what the world calls you to.

“For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith.” (1 John 5:4, ESV)