I’ve heard how trials and tribulations make us strong. I’ve heard that “what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger”. Well, seriously, who wants to be just before the point of death just to get stronger? Sounds kind of crazy, but Christian leaders and leaders in general do. Why? Well, it’s pretty simple. We learn valuable lessons as a result of challenges. When we are tested, we have to exercise our mind and manage our will. How will you handle that lay off? Leaders know they will succeed; they just have to figure out HOW to get there. It exercises their minds – growing and stretching it in new and different ways. That’s the beauty of “out of the box” thinking.
Christian leaders also know they will grow from the experience. One difference is they typically grow closer to God who holds the key to every challenge, every situation, and every set of circumstances. When trials and tribulations come, Christian leaders go to the source. They ask for guidance and direction. They recognize that they alone cannot solve the problem, but when they go in earnest to the master teacher, ready to learn, they will come up with a path to success.
Regardless of your religious beliefs, all leaders know they draw strength from within and without. They know they get results faster and better options when they work with other people. By so doing, they can collectively develop ideas and shape them into potential solutions. The key is to monitor who the external people are that you’re drawing information from. If they are like-minded or even if they can sometimes seem to have ideas that are in a totally different hemisphere, if everyone is working for the good of the company, organization, or even family unit, they can help support the solution. Then comes the time, when the leader draws strength from within. The leader takes the information gathered and determines a response. Spirit works within to provide the guidance you need when you need it.
So why do we need trials and tribulations? We need them so we continue to grow and not become stagnant. We need them to help us see life from a broader perspective. We need them to provide a foundation upon which to draw as life continues to provide new opportunities for success.
Embrace challenge. Embrace the job layoff. It will teach you how to live off less that you previously thought you could. It will teach you to live within your means and make better buying decisions. That illness will teach you how your body works and what needs to be done for optimum functioning. It will also help you want to do certain body/mind healthy activities – it won’t be a burden, it will become a way of life. It will teach you to appreciate your life and the lives of those around you.
A friend of mine is blind. She’s struggled with accepting the challenges that living without sight has presented. However, she works every day to get to that point of acceptance. She’s learned to be thankful for things that had she never lost her sight, she may not have realized or appreciated. She’s also become a spokesperson for people with optic nerve damage. She’s organizing fundraisers, blogging and getting her story out to provide comfort to others. The lives she has yet to touch are untold. She is a leader. Her sight loss had caused a re-invention of herself.
So I guess “they” were right when they said trials and tribulations make us stronger. So even when it’s dark, know that God is there and He is the light for your path.
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