Are You Tough Enough?

I was listening to NPR the other day when they had an interview with one of the Olympic athletes. I believe he was an American steeplechase participant, but am not certain of that. Of course, they talked about a lot of things, but then he talked of his motivation to persevere through the training and then the competition.

I don’t know if this will strike you or not. It did me. When asked why he continues training in a sport that very few people know or care about, and if he ever felt like quiting, he said that when he gets to that place in his life, he just stops and asks himself one question: "Are you tough enough?"

Are you tough enough? Maybe we all should be asking ourselves that question at times. Now, I know that I’ll sometimes say no to that question. For example, if I think about skydiving and I ask myself that question, the answer will be “No,” although if it was a matter of life and death, I probably would jump out of that plane.

However, in everyday life and living, we face those giants that just seem to beat us down. The cranky boss, the unnerving traffic, the bad relative, never ending work, the chronic health issue, kids that never seem to grow up, or some such other issue. Maybe we are caught in a debt trap or find ourselves in an abusive situation of some kind. Perhaps we are addicted to something. Whatever it is, one key question we need to ask ourselves is, “Are you tough enough?”

The answer for many might well be no. However, for the Christian, there should never be occasion for that answer. Paul says that we have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear, but a spirit of adoption as sons. He also says that we have not received a spirit of timidity but rather a spirit of power and love. Paul also says that he can do all things through Christ, who strengthens him.

What’s going on in your life that is an issue right now? What are you battling? What is getting the best of you? Are you tough enough? If the answer is "No," maybe you need some help. Try adding Jesus Christ to the equation, then ask yourself again. You might be pleasantly surprised to find that you indeed can do all things through Christ, who strengthens you.