The Gift of Grace that Grows from Our Challenges

The Gift of Grace that Grows from Our Challenges

Posted on by Michele Morin

Maybe I haven’t been listening carefully, but I don’t recall ever hearing someone say, “It was only after my huge success that I finally got my priorities straight. It was only after the big book deal and the first million in the bank that I cried out to God with sincerity.”

Isn’t it true that it’s usually just the opposite?

We encounter difficulty, suffering, or even the specter of death, and suddenly we realize our priorities have been out of whack, our relationships are shallow, and our faith is an afterthought.

I’ve been meditating on 2 Corinthians 4 since my diagnosis with Parkinson’s disease, particularly Paul’s words about suffering:

This light and momentary affliction is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”

2 Corinthians 4:17

I see in this pronouncement an invitation to pile all the inconvenience and discomfort of a chronic illness onto God’s balance scale and to see it fly up like feathers against the weighty and substantial glory that somehow results from suffering. For the believer, there’s an organic relationship between the two—for the “weight of glory” is not simply compensation for the loss, but somehow grows out of it.

Thomas à Kempis wrote, “The more the flesh is wasted by affliction, so much more is the spirit strengthened by inward grace.”

Grace is what’s given if we are wise enough to see it and to receive it. When we demand comfort, answers, resolution, and immediate relief, we may miss the gift that’s being given—that’s actually growing out of our weakness, frustration, or loss.

Think back to one of the most difficult challenges of your life. In hindsight, was God able to use that time for your benefit? How does this realization help you in processing today’s challenge?

Thomas à Kempis wrote, “The more the flesh is wasted by affliction, so much more is the spirit strengthened by inward grace.” #Grace is what’s #given if we are wise enough to see it and to receive it.

See all my Given—One Word 2024 posts here.

Now Let’s Talk Books…

Memoir is my favorite genre, especially when the author finds a way to expand his own small narrative in ways that intersect with the big story of scripture. Certainly, the topics of church hurt and broken faith are everywhere, and it’s bracing and reassuring to read that disappointment with God is not solely a 21st-century phenomenon.

Author and podcaster Mike Cosper is well-known for his reporting on the Rise and Fall of Mars Hill. Now, Land of My Sojourn reveals that his personal journey has informed his gritty truth-telling. He lived the reality of the hope that keeps a church member coming back week after week, believing that the fellowship he loved was “only one good conversation away from getting it right and making things healthy.”

With Elijah from the Old Testament and Peter from the New as traveling companions, Cosper affirms the biblical connection between suffering and glory alongside the crushing reality that even good and godly dreams may die. In disillusionment, we also may be wondering: “What have I been giving my life to?”

Following “The Landscape of a Faith Lost and Found” may not be light reading, but it’s a story that honestly expresses the ups and downs of a following life in company with other fallen followers of The Way. In the land of my own long sojourn, I appreciated the reminder that I have not been traveling alone.

Holding You in the Light,

Land of My Sojourn by @MikeCosper may not be light reading, but it’s a story that exposes the ups and downs of a following life in company with other fallen followers of The Way. Read and discover: You have not been traveling alone

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To add this free resource to your pursuit of biblical literacy, simply CLICK HERE. There, on Substack’s website, you’ll find a prompt that looks just like this image for Living Our Days with Michele Morin. Over on that site, simply enter your email and then click on the purple “SUBSCRIBE” button.

You’ll receive a welcome letter to confirm your subscription and monthly encouragement in your email inbox.

Looking for Challenging Devotional Reading that Encourages You to Seek Intimacy with God Every Day?

YouVersion Plans

As you know, I’m committed to the truth that women can become confident followers of God and students of his Word, and it’s my goal to help you along that path. At Living Our Days, I provide biblical content and resources to encourage biblical literacy and faithful living, and now I’m sharing devotional content on the YouVersion app. Visit my profile page to get free access to the reading plans!

I participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees. If you should decide to purchase any of the books or products I’ve shared, simply click on the image, and you’ll be taken directly to the seller. If you decide to buy, I’ll receive a few pennies at no extra cost to you.

Many thanks to InterVarsity Press and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book to facilitate my review, which is, of course, offered freely and with honesty.

Photo by Elena Mozhvilo on Unsplash

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Published by Michele Morin

Michele Morin is a Bible teacher, writer, reader, and gardener committed to the truth that women can become confident Christ-followers and students of God's Word. She has been married to an unreasonably patient husband for thirty-plus years, and together they have four married sons and a growing fleet of adorable grandchildren. Michele loves hot tea and well-crafted sentences, poems that stop her in her tracks, and days at the ocean with the whole family. She laments biblical illiteracy and advocates for the prudent use of “little minutes.” She blogs at Living Our Days, and you can connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.

19 thoughts on “The Gift of Grace that Grows from Our Challenges”

  1. “When we demand comfort, answers, resolution, and immediate relief, we may miss the gift that’s being given…” Oh, how I can demand to have it my way, when His way is full of grace and love! Wonderful message.

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  2. “When we demand comfort, answers, resolution, and immediate relief, we may miss the gift that’s being given …” yes! It is so true. When I look back at some difficulties and challenges endured over the years, I have often said I would go through it again because of what was learned and gained in Christ. Not easy but He has so been worth it. Praying for you this morning, Michele. May the Lord continue to strengthen you and use you as you navigate this challenge. You, and your writing, are a blessing!

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  4. That’s so true–usually the deepest lessons come after the hardest times. Yet I still want out of the trial asap. I need to be “joyful in hope, patient in affliction.”

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  5. I see a “weight of glory” growing out of your battle with Parkinson’s, Michele. You haven’t questioned or complained; in fact, you only occasionally mention your diagnosis here. Instead you discipline yourself to do as your doctor and therapist recommend, and press on to follow your calling as teacher, writer, speaker, etc. You continue to positively impact the lives of those within your circle of influence. GRACE is shining brightly from your life, my friend!

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  6. Michele, several years ago, I was exposed to mold in our house. The workers uncovered it and left for the weekend. I became very ill, developed adult asthma, and chronic cough and fatigue. I had to cancel all speaking events for almost a year because I couldn’t talk without coughing. It sent me on a long health journey I am still on, though I’m thankful I am much better now. I’d written a book Give Yourself a Break on entering God’s rest. I found myself having to practice the lessons I’d written about. Did I believe my worth was in my work or in Christ? Easy to say when you can still produce. I love the passage you’ve highlighted. It has carried me many times.

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    1. I have some very specific memories of dark tunnels and coming out on the other side different. Thanks be to God that he sees the big picture and assigns the dark times with love.

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