“They gave our Master a crown of thorns. Why do we hope for a crown of roses?”
Martin Luther
I have mentioned before how amazed I am by my surprise when I hit bumps in the road of life. Even though I am never prepared for them I realize that the way I walk through these challenges speaks volumes about who I am. I am often reminded of our Savior who did endure extreme cruelty and performed the ultimate sacrifice for me, small as I am. This quote truly sums up the essence of it all.
Think about it, Satan tried to tempt even Jesus! Why wouldn’t he try to steer us off course? Wouldn’t we be far easier targets?
Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him. Mark 1:12
Matthew chapter 4 goes into a lot more detail about His time in the wilderness and how He handled it, and I think that is a perfect example to us in how to handle our own trials and challenges. He used lots of scripture to defeat the temptation, the whole “it is written” routine that we often forget to use!
Reading through Chapter 4 of The Power of A Praying Parent ties right into this as well. The chapter is all about praying for your child to feel loved and accepted. It talks about how we are so often challenged with the absolute lies of the enemy! You aren’t good enough, pretty enough, thin enough, strong enough, smart enough . . . . you get the idea, the lies that our children and even ourselves as adults believe are just that ~ complete LIES!
We have to remember how Christ handled things in His life and even through His death. It was always all about seeking God’s will and having complete faith and trust. I truly believe that the challenges that come along in each of our lives are there for a reason, to strengthen us and to hone us and to remind us that we are only human. But who we become as a result of how we handle each and every challenge and trial . . . that is where the testament of our faith and life lies.