Strength Through Submission

More than a few times in the last twenty years, I have had a student say, "Why do I have to learn this?  I'll never use it!"  I used to give them a sympathetic smile and say, "You never know where life will lead you, and this may prove useful someday."  Of course, those words did little to change their mind or their attitude toward the difficult concept they were struggling to learn.

One day, a student looked at me and said, "Why do I have to learn this?  I'll never use it!"  And I shrugged my shoulders and said, "You may be right right.  You may never use it.  But you know what?  The purpose of learning this concept is to help you develop the ability to think on a higher level."  That answer seemed to be satisfactory, and I continue to use it.  When one disciplines himself to stay engaged and follow through to the solution of tough academic challenges, the process itself changes him.  He not only gains ability, he also gains the confidence to face the next challenge.  His perspective broadens, his arsenal of knowledge increases, and he builds the intellectual muscle to propel him to the next cognitive level.

Several years ago, I broke my ankle.  After surgery and nearly two months of being in a cast, I was ready to begin therapy.  I pushed through my first session, and was a little puzzled by many of the routines.  Walking backward the length of the room?  Side leg lifts? What in the world did that have to do with the joint in my ankle?

Over the course of eighteen sessions, I learned that the purpose of therapy was to exercise and strengthen many of the muscles in my leg, not just the ankle area, and to help me develop a greater sense of balance. Participating in physical therapy was the best decision I could have made, and not just because it made all the difference in my being able to regain mobility in the injured joint.  My experiences there actually initiated an internal dialogue and ultimately led me to begin a life-changing weight loss journey just five months later.

Sometimes we don't understand the circumstances God allows us to encounter.  We can't connect the dots, so we are tempted to say, "Why?"  And I think God is ok with us asking.  He knows we can't see the end from the beginning.  He knows our perspective is limited.  And He knows we are unaware of what He is preparing us for in our next level of experience and influence.  But after we ask Him why, a next good step is to say, "What would You have me learn from this?"  Whether or not the pain is self-inflicted, God uses it to our benefit.  His lessons are never wasted.  The question is whether or not we will allow Him to grow and strengthen us while we walk the difficult road.

As I reflect back to my years as an undergraduate student, it makes me smile to think that one of my most effective professors was also the most demanding.  She would lose a fraction of the class after handing out the syllabus, leaving her with only those of us who were serious about earning the credit.  Although I was often disheartened and fearful when first seeing her expectations, I determined to persevere and give it my best.  I knew she had my best interest (and the interest of my future students) at heart, and I trusted that the rigors of her classroom were beneficial to me.

Isn't it beautiful that we can trust our Creator to know what is best for us?  To allow Him to shape and craft us as He chooses?  You and I may be surprised by what opportunity may be waiting just around the corner as we submit to His instruction.

For additional encouragement, read Hebrews 12:5-11.  Verse 11 is especially applicable, "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.  Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."