More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. – Romans 5: 3-5 ESV
I once heard a quote from Napoleon Hill, “The path of least resistance makes all rivers, and some men, crooked.” Instantly this stuck with me. As snowboarders and skiers, we have a tendency to not take the easy way out. In many ways, we are in this for the struggle. Whether it’s learning a new trick or dialing a line in the back country, we are a group of people who are willing to fall down a few times to land it, stomp it, or ride away– even when it’s for a single opportunity.
I wish I could say I was as good at pushing or persisting through the hard stuff in my faith walk as I am with my snowboarding or skating. When we are doing it correctly, Christianity is oftentimes the toughest path. We didn’t accept Jesus Christ as our savior because he would make our lives easy. We accepted him as our savior because it’s the truth, and we must live differently because of that. Most of the time, that can be very difficult. It may look like having an awkward conversation on the hill with a non-christian friend or living in a way that other shredders may consider weird or, dare I say, “kooky”.
Peter Beck may have put it better when he said, “Fallen human nature has created a race of beings who are looking for the easy way out.” This cuts me deep because I’m guilty of this daily. I thought I had learned how to live in a way that was sacrificial, then Mandi and I had our first child. I quickly learned that I had some work to do on taking the easy way out in life. I still do! The same goes for my Christian faith. I’m working on reading my Bible, praying, and loving my neighbor better (even when it’s not the neighbor I relate with most). I will say that when I choose to take the harder path and persist through, I feel rewarded in the end. Just like stomping a new trick, it feels great to push through the hard, awkward stuff that is in my way in life.
Remember “SUFFERING produces ENDURANCE, ENDURANCE produces CHARACTER, and CHARACTER produces HOPE!” Whatever it may been that you’re not too stoked on doing right now, I encourage you to push through it. I’m on the same journey and learning everyday. Let’s be a group that will to go through the hard stuff in life so we can get to the easy. I have a feeling God will be looking down on us with a smile knowing that his people are willing to be persistent at living a life that brings him glory.
Challenge
Are you willing to push through the hard not only in your shred skills but in your faith walk?
What are three areas God is working with you when it comes to persistence?
Who can you pray for? This walk isn’t easy; it will often be the hardest. Let’s pray for one another to be people that are willing to be persistent in our walk with God!
By Mitchell Bowser | Plymouth, Minnesota