I have a friend in the Army Reserves who regularly trains on weekends. Recently several of his soldiers sarcastically thanked him for volunteering them for a competition a few weeks ago. It was an extremely hard competition against active Army soldiers and active duty Marines in bitterly cold weather with shooting, ruck marches, and a lot of physical training. The team leader said it was one of the most difficult things he had ever done. His team excelled and finished second in the standings, and later the guys genuinely thanked him for putting them through something extremely difficult. The sergeant said, “That was the worst thing I have ever endured in the Army.” Then with a smile he added, “So ‘thank you’ because I will never forget it.”
This week we had a little reunion of our Young Life trip this past summer. Karlyn is in for spring break and Hunter and Yousef are visiting from Israel. These three and Alysia, Nate, Susan, and I had breakfast together and caught up. Hunter, who now lives in Nazareth, reminisced: “When I see you guys, I think of us all being stranded out in the desert trying to find a way into the West Bank.” He reminded us of the hardest day of our week when we were denied entry at an Israeli checkpoint while Yousef and his family waited on the other side of the wall. We waited for hours in the hot sun taking turns standing under one lonely tree for a little shade. We joked that Hagar put Ishmael under that same tree while wondering if we were ever going to meet up with our Palestinian friends. Our day of adventure eventually ended happily, but it was very difficult… and we will never forget it.
Why is it important to go through hard things? James gives us one reason: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4)
The hardest thing anyone has ever done in all of history was also completely necessary for us to be united with God. The Son, “who learned obedience from what He suffered,” ran his race with perseverance and endured the Cross while carrying our sins. What a Savior! And He chose to do this hard thing for me and for you. “Lord, teach us to walk in your steps.”
“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me — just as the Father knows me and I know the Father — and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life — only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.” John 10:14-18