I’d like to say I’ve been thinking about challenges.
I have not.
I avoid the thought—because I’m completely overwhelmed, inundated, and surrounded by them. And the list grows by the minute.
The range is wild: Will I make odd sounds when I sit down? Will they be even odder when I stand up? Can I even stand up? Is there a plan for my life? Am I even close to the trail? Am I going in the right direction—or did I somehow get turned around?
Alright. Maybe I have looked a little at challenges. So what do I do about them? I could announce to the world the complexity of it all. I have a trick knee. It keeps me from running—because I never know when I’ll fall on my face. It’s painful. Debilitating. I’ve gotten sympathy from many people… even one-legged veterans!
So yes, I can complain. I’m allowed to be an idiot. But— First: it’s not a bad idea to cover it all in prayer. Maybe several prayers. Just be careful not to pray for the removal of challenge. It may be the one thing you need most. Muscle isn’t built by relaxation. Muscle is built by resistance.
A Three-Step Approach to Challenge:
1. Show up. It sounds simplistic. But it’s real. Most of us react to challenge by ignoring it—hoping it goes away. Showing up counters that instinct. It positions you to act, not just react.
2. Contain it. This is part analysis, part mercy. Like a puzzle—find the edges. Fill in the border. Why? Because: You know where the problem stops. You reduce the number of possible solutions. Edges contain the problem, give it shape, and shift your angle of view.
3. Seek help. Yes, you can face many things alone. But even Helen Keller needed help to become Helen Keller. And here’s something deeper: You Are Not Alone This Passover season, I was reminded of the Israelites in the desert complaining. “ I don’t care if we’re free. I want melons! There were melons back in Egypt!” I used to judge them—unfaithful and ungrateful. But here’s the thing: they were challenged, and they didn’t have help.
In the Tanakh, the Spirit of God came and went—falling upon kings, prophets, and regular folk… and then leaving, sometimes without warning. Without the Spirit, they had no permanent help. That’s not the case for us. As Christians, we are told the Spirit is with us. In Greek: Paraclete—the one who comes alongside, holds us up, stands with us. We may act as if we’re alone. But we’re not.
A Final Note
You still need help from others. Challenges can be shared—through family, friendship, accountability. Some solutions need structure. Others just need a hand. But remember: You’re not alone. The challenge can be defined.
The solution often begins with how you choose to respond.
