"Trick or treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat!", the tiny voices sang in unison.
He stood in the doorway, looking down on a Superman, a Werewolf, and a Shrek. He bent down and picked up his fire helmet that was full of "treats".
"Are you a fireman? Cool! That's what I wanna be when I grow up - a big, strong fireman!", the Werewolf chimed in.
"Well, I'm going to give you something that I consider a reminder of how you can stay strong, okay?"
At that, he dipped his hand into his helmet and pulled out three shiny Titleist golf balls.
"I thought you were supposed to give us candy.", the Shrek complained.
"This will last longer than candy, and it's better for you anyway. You see, a golf ball starts off shiny and new, with no blemishes. Then over the years it gets a few scuff marks, tears, and loses a little of its shine. The thing is, a golf ball is made to take a hit and keep going. Its strength is in its core - what is in the center. Also, it is round, so it likes to roll off tables, down different roads, bouncing this way and that, but if you hold out your hand and cup your palm like so, the ball won't move; it is perfectly secure. That's the way He designed us: to be ready to take a hit, bounce back, be strong from the inside-out with Jesus in the center, and rest in God's hand."
"Wow! Thanks, Mr. Fireman!", they said as they scurried to the next house.
Everyone enjoys the good times of life, but when hardships knock on our door, we can easily become angry or discouraged. Some might think that when you become a follower of Christ, life is a bowl of cherries. In fact, we can expect to go through some suffering, but we should look at it in a different light: "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed." (I Peter 4: 12-13) We suffer because Christ sufferred. We should endure trials with His attitude: "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety upon him because he cares for you." (I Peter 5: 6-7) We can be sure that if we are following Christ, every situation that comes up is an opportunity for God to develop and mature us as individuals. These "character building times" arrive from many different angles: innocent mistakes, errors in judgment, integrity problems, changes in environment, evil happenings, God's disciplines, or God's tests. Proverbs 17:3 states: "The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the heart." We should pray that our character will stay true.
Instead of trying to learn from our suffering, we usually fail by attempting to avoid it. We do this by: pleading for fairness (Psalms 34: 19)), comparing ourselves to others (Psalms 49: 16-17), shouting in anger (James 1: 20), pouting in a pity party (Psalms 73: 12-14), and doubting God is real (Isaiah 41: 10).
Paul asked God three times to remove his "thorn in the flesh", but God denied his request. He comforted him saying, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.". Paul responded in 2 Corinthians 12: 9-10: "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
God simply wants our committment of faith to never give up serving Him. He promises: "And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast." (I Peter 5: 10)
This is not saying that entry into heaven is based on our suffering, but that avoiding suffering is impossible while we still are living on Earth. As we are involved in hardships, it is a time we can become closer to Christ and understand a little more about the price He paid for us personally. In addition, just as Christ was lifted up after a while, we too, with perseverance, can attempt to handle suffering with the hope of hearing the words, "Well done, my good and faithful servant". To God be the glory.
"Trick or treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat!", the tiny voices sang in unison.