Last night, the Philadelphia 76ers lost a crucial game 7 against the Atlanta Hawks. On one side (Hawks) was a point guard who exuded confidence and relished the big moments. His swagger nudged his team to victory.
On the other side was Ben Simmons, the point guard for the losing team. To put it mildly, he played poorly and not just in the final game. Unsurprisingly, he faced a barrage of questions after the game, prodding him of his ability to lead a team to victory. “I am who I am,” he said.
Discouragement- you know it when you see it. For us as Christians, you know it when you feel it. It can creep up on you and convince you that you are average, pedestrian and destined for failure.
Except that you’re not.
Fr. Jacques Philippe, in Searching for and Maintaining Peace, puts it this way: ”Every Christian must be thoroughly convinced that his spiritual life can in no way be viewed as the quiet unfolding of an inconsequential life without any problems; rather it must be seen as the scene of a constant and sometimes painful battle which will not end until death- a struggle against evil, temptation and the sin that is in him.”
Your life isn’t inconsequential and Christ has already won. When you feel discouraged, lean into it. You’re in the arena and you’re still fighting. This is a sign of a spiritual pulse and a conscience that’s hard at work. Life is hard and today is a good day to embrace the struggle.
On the other side was Ben Simmons, the point guard for the losing team. To put it mildly, he played poorly and not just in the final game. Unsurprisingly, he faced a barrage of questions after the game, prodding him of his ability to lead a team to victory. “I am who I am,” he said.
Discouragement- you know it when you see it. For us as Christians, you know it when you feel it. It can creep up on you and convince you that you are average, pedestrian and destined for failure.
Except that you’re not.
Fr. Jacques Philippe, in Searching for and Maintaining Peace, puts it this way: ”Every Christian must be thoroughly convinced that his spiritual life can in no way be viewed as the quiet unfolding of an inconsequential life without any problems; rather it must be seen as the scene of a constant and sometimes painful battle which will not end until death- a struggle against evil, temptation and the sin that is in him.”
Your life isn’t inconsequential and Christ has already won. When you feel discouraged, lean into it. You’re in the arena and you’re still fighting. This is a sign of a spiritual pulse and a conscience that’s hard at work. Life is hard and today is a good day to embrace the struggle.