Faith Provides The Courage To Go On

Bienhome Muivah *

Easter Sunday held at Manipur Baptist Convention (MBC) , Chingmeirong, on April 20 2014 :: Pix - Shanker Khangembam

It seems that the greater the challenge, the greater the opportunity for genuine growth. Extracting all the spiritual value from a trial is like grabbing an orange half, thrusting it down upon the juicer, then pressing and turning for all you are worth. The intense effort extracts every drop of juice from the orange. Then, once you pick out all the seeds, you have the satisfaction of pouring that tasty nectar into a glass and drinking it down. In a sense, the more intense your efforts, the more fruitful and refreshing the results.

There is a direct relationship between the intensity of the trial and the potential for increased faith. Before deciding on taking the climb, many of the 300,000 people who ascend Mount Fuji each year stop to consider the challenge of a nine to-sixteen-mile climb (add another three to five miles for slippage on loose ash). With some apprehension, they read about the route up the mountain (paying close attention to rest stops).

Then they begin to prepare their bodies for the strain before they fly to Japan. They walk during their lunch hours and climb mountains near their homes on weekends. But the price they have to pay for the experience seems small when they anticipate the sunrise greeting them in reward for their all night climb. They can just see their "I climbed Mount Fuji".

When the big day arrives they stand at the foot of Fuji, trying to see the top in the dark. Then, step by step, they begin the steep climb, feeling their way, slipping on volcanic ash. As they conquer the last summit, their sense of achievement becomes reality. They return home holding their heads a little higher, standing a little taller, and steeping a little lighter because their confidence has grown. After all, they climbed Mount Fuji! Having the courage/faith to conquer fearful challenges sweetens the reward when the task is completed.

There is a direct relationship between the price paid and delight in a job well done, especially when the challenge is fear-filled, requiring courage and faith-coping with fear, paying the price, and finishing the course. That's faith-generated perseverance when facing fear-generating challenges in life.

Fear tempts us to quit when the going gets tough, but faith supplies the courage to endure hardships and trials. When fear entices you to quit, soldier of Christ, don't!

Never stop anticipating the joy of standing before our heavenly commander and having Him place on our heads the crown of life for faith in fearful time.

It was recorded as the shortest commencement speech in history. This special speaker, who had been pursued by the prestigious universities, finally accepted an invitation extended by his former grade school, Harrow, where he had been in the lower third of his class and showed little potential. However, he graduated and went on the university. Now he was invited back to speak to the graduates.

After all the preliminaries, he moved slowly to the lectern, paused, cleared his throat and spoke these words: "Young gentlemen, never give in! Never give in! Never, never, never. Never-in anything great or small, large or petty-never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense". He then returned to the comfortable chair on the platform and sat down.

The crowd, at first stunned into silence, spontaneously leaped to their feet and delivered a standing ovation that lasted for many minutes! They understood what Sir Winston Churchill was communicating to the graduates. At a time in which the world faced some of the most fearful circumstances in history, Churchill issued messages of hope, faith, and determination. His words of inspiration struck a greater blow to the enemy than any navy destroyer could have done. His fear was legitimate, but his persevering faith was contagious.

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you are trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh.
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a person turns about
When they might have won had they stuck it out.
Don't give up though the pace seems slow,
You may succeed with another blow.
Often the struggler has given up.
When he might have captured the victor's cup;
And he learned too late when the night came down.
How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out,
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
So stick to the fight when you are hardest hit,
It's when thing seem worst that you must not quit.

- Author unknown.

God promises and abundantly provides challenges in life that are loving opportunities to overcome fear by developing greater faith.

Develop Godly Faith!