Journeys and the Challenges That Come With Them

Journeys and challenges seem to go hand in hand, don't they?    Why is that?   I have been dwelling a lot lately on this issue of challenges and how they can totally knock us off the journey's path and bring about frustration, failure and shame.   So, how can we look at this "mighty duo" and come out on the winning side?


I started a new journey of my own last October, 2011.  I felt from the very start that I faced challenge after challenge after challenge!  These were no little challenges either and I was struggling every day.   I was sharing my struggles and frustrations with a very dear friend of mine and she shared some amazing wisdom with me!   She told me that I needed to embrace these struggles and realize that on this journey I will be having to drop things that have bound me and pick up new things that will bring about freedom and strength.   Wow....what a difference that has made in my over all thinking while on this journey.   I have already been able to drop several things that brought about discouragement and despair and I'm happy to say that in doing that I was also able to pick up things that have totally encouraged and strengthened me for the long haul.   I also found that changing my way of thinking and aligning it up with God's allowed me to do these things and do them with better understanding.

Now....let's talk about those challenges in another light.   I believe with my whole heart that those challenges that pop in and out of our lives are there to make us look up to our Heavenly Father and acknowledge our own weaknesses and grasp hold of His great strength and love.   I have tried doing things in my own strength only to trip over and over again and eventually come to a complete stop.   I have also looked up for a period of time only to get cocky with myself and take my eyes off of God and place them on myself....which also brought me to a complete stop!

Hebrews 12:1 " Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.."

The challenges will always be there....so how will you handle them?  Will you be a "whiney sissy baby"  like I have been so many times....or will you join me in looking up and receiving all that God has for us to help us walk this journey for His glory?