By: Obed Pineda
After successfully qualifying for a tournament, a young athlete arrived to the gym where his trainer was waiting for him, to begin training again. The competitor fondly remembered the vigorous and grueling training he had endured in preparation of his participation in the qualifying stage of the competition, and how it ultimately paid dividends when he earned his spot in the coveted contest. He eagerly greeted his coach and started heading toward the same machines where they had previously worked on preparing his body for the event. Mentally, the young athlete was convinced that this time the routine would not be as painful as the first time since he was already conditioned and fully prepared from the previous experience. He arrived to this conclusion because he believed that he had reached his maximum capacity through the prior regiment, and that his body could not exceed beyond that; he had settled with the level that he had achieved. He laid on the same weight bench (as he had done so many times during his first training sessions) and grabbed the bar, ready to begin his first set of bench presses, not realizing that the coach had made an adjustment to the weight. He lifted up the weights, his arms began to burn; and after a few presses, he was unable to finish his first set. Bewildered by the fact that he could not finish a set that he had accomplished so many times before, his self-confidence had been rocked and self-doubt began to plague his psyche. His coach, however, observing him carefully, realized that his young trainee was unaware of the adjustment he had made to the weights, and proceeded to ask him what was wrong? The athlete quickly replied that he did not know; he thought he was ready and being unable to complete the first set had debilitated his self-confidence. This setback was making him wonder if perhaps it was best for him to withdraw from the tournament, since he did not want to embarrass himself in front of the spectators. After listening to his young protégé, the trainer proceeded to explain to him that it was not his strength that had failed him, but his lack of observation and focus. Had he paid closer attention to the weights that were on the bar, he would have realized that they were heavier than before, because it was necessary for him to get even stronger if he was to win the prize. Thus, his accomplishment was not erased by the additional weight of the bar, but instead it would help him reach the next level of his training so that he could be crowned the victor. The apostle Paul wrote, “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:12-14). The young athlete’s discouragement and disillusion is an event that we as Christians have experienced at least once in our Christian walk. These moments often happen when one is cognizant of the amount of spiritual growth that has manifested and begins feeling great about it, when suddenly a fiery trial takes place, pushing one’s strength to the limit. These moments tend to catch the Christian by surprise (especially if he is a new convert), often making him wonder if he has even grown at all. Yet, like the athlete in our anecdote, it is valuable to remember in these situations that it is not our faith that was underdeveloped, but rather the level of difficulty of the challenge is announcing that our faith’s strength is increasing as well. This is why Paul explains to the Philippians that he was weary of “resting on his laurels,” as the old adage goes. He always kept in mind the same advice he gave to the Romans of not becoming complacent with this world (cf. Romans 12:2). The apostle Peter, too, reminds us that during these fiery trials one must “greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1st Peter 1:6-7). Additionally, it is an extraordinary comfort to read in Holy Writ that there were godly men and women who suffered similar instances of self-doubt, but were triumphant in quelling their desire to want to give up (cf. Jeremiah 20:7-12, 1st Kings 19:1-18). One memorable example provided by the Holy Spirit is found in Stephen’s sermon before being martyred (cf. Acts 7). The inspired Stephen promulgated concerning the mighty Moses, “Now when he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren, the children of Israel. And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended and avenged him who was oppressed, and struck down the Egyptian. For he supposed that his brethren would have understood that God would deliver them by his hand, but they did not understand” (Acts 7:23-25). Remember that during Moses’ first forty years of life he “was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds” (Acts 7:22). Thus, Stephen’s point is made valid when he boldly states that Moses made the assumption that because of the preparation he had received from the Egyptians, he was ready to be Israel’s deliverer (and that they would gladly follow his lead, since he was the “ideal” man for the task). However, Scripture reveals that things did not go as he had anticipated because he was rejected by his own, and “fled and became a dweller in the land of Midian” (Acts 7:26-29, cf. Exodus 2:11-15). Moses seemingly had lost his desire to liberate his kin from Pharaoh’s tyrant hand, discouraged by the rejection of one Israelite, falling prey to his own assumption (cf. Exodus 3:6-4:17). The error that Moses was making is that he was not understanding that it was on God’s time, not his own, and that he was not yet ready to take on this responsibility. It was not by chance that Moses spent the next forty years of his life out in the wilderness in preparation to lead the children of Israel through that same wilderness (in the final forty years of his life) after liberating them from Egypt’s bondage (cf. Acts 30-36). Moses’ initial hesitancy in obeying Jehovah God’s calling is one that is very relatable, especially when things do not pan out as one anticipated. However, this is the same reason why one must meditate on his experience and find the strength to rise again and continue to press toward the goal. It is wise not to lose sight of the purpose for which we are enrolled into the academy of affliction, along with all the other faithful servants of God as well (cf. Hebrews 11). The key to graduating from this academy is to shift our focus from discouragement brought upon from suffering, to encouragement of being perfected by what one suffers (cf. Philippians 4:10-13, Hebrews 10:32-39). After all, even the Son of man is an alumni of this academy and was made “the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings” (Hebrews 2:10).