day 1409: Suffering

While on a pilgrimage walk on the Camino de Santiago (St. James Way) in Spain, I asked some of the most committed and courageous faith-driven business leaders I know to guest contribute to Purposed worKING.  Enjoy! - Rusty
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"Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope."

This is a topic that's been on my mind quite a bit lately. I don't know about you but I've certainly had my share of suffering in life and I'm reasonably sure that there's more to come. In considering "suffering" I think about physical pain brought on by an injury or illness; emotional pain resulting from a broken relationship or unmet expectations; psychological pain in the form of depression or shame. 

I've definitely had my periods of suffering in the context of work. I think to times in my life when work was seemingly unbearable for a myriad of reasons: hostile co-workers; days filled with mind-numbing tasks; unreasonable bosses; well, you get the picture. I've also been laid off and found myself questioning my value as a person because my identity was so closely tied to my work. In short, work has been a source of much suffering throughout the course of my life. 

I have to be honest... I really, really, dislike suffering. If I had it my way, I would never have to endure suffering one more moment of my life. That said, the Bible has a much different perspective on suffering. In his letter to the Romans, Paul states that "we also glory in our sufferings". WHAT?!?! Glory and rejoicing are not the first things that come to mind when I think of suffering. Paul goes on to say that "suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." So... suffering can lead to hope. Huh.

I do believe in my heart that suffering can lead to hope. However, I don't think that suffering necessarily leads to hope. I don't think that suffering necessarily produce perseverance. I think suffering provides an opportunity for perseverance. I think we can just "make it" or just "survive" through suffering and I don't think the product in that case is perseverance. I've thought a lot about what perseverance looks like in the midst of suffering and while I can't say definitively for everyone what it should look like, I have an idea what it looks like for me.

To me, to persevere is to contend. To suck it up and continue to do the right things no matter how painful. To love those who are not easy to love. To be an example to those around us and approach seemingly impossible situations at work with a positive attitude. To humble myself when I feel like I'm being attacked.

I'm going through a period of suffering even as I type this and I ask myself, "what will this period reveal about my character? Will I persevere and emerge from this period with hope, or will I just survive?" 

For now, I will glory in my suffering and see what follows.

 

Reference: Romans 5:3-4 (NIV)

David Lee

day 1404: Perspective and Discipline

While on a pilgrimage walk on the Camino de Santiago (St. James Way) in Spain, I  asked some of the most committed and courageous faith-driven business leaders I know to guest contribute to Purposed worKING.  Enjoy! - Rusty

                         ________________________________________________

"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever."

Doubled over, dizzy, eyes blurry, dry-heaving...I remember it like it was yesterday. This was the scene twice a year at West Point when I took the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT). You see, the test consisted of two minutes of push ups, two minutes of sit ups, and a two mile run. For reasons that make no logical sense, I would invariably exert myself to the point of puking. Why did I subject myself to this pain? I did it because I knew that in the long run (no pun intended), I would benefit from trying my absolute best. I knew this from experience. I knew that I will be healthier, I knew that I would be stronger, I knew that I would shed unwanted excess flesh hanging around my waist, I knew that I would feel a sense of accomplishment. I still try to run regularly and it's still painful but I do it because perhaps my wife finds me more attractive when I do (maybe I'm getting carried away here). In short, I have a long-term perspective.

Having a long-term perspective is a powerful thing. It causes us to do things that are seemingly illogical. Things like subjecting ourselves to pain in the form or exercise. It gives us the discipline to make good decisions. After all, if we have a "now-only" perspective, we would find ourselves pursuing only those things that bring us pleasure and avoid at all costs, anything that might cause us pain. The fact is, we don't. Most of us choose to eat reasonably healthy foods, get moderate exercise at a minimum, and live a healthy lifestyle. In short, we exercise discipline in our lives because we have a long-term perspective.

So it should be with our relationship with Christ. Knowing Christ gives us an eternal perspective. This is a game-changer. Christ makes it easy for us. He promises a life with Him for eternity. We know what our purpose is...for eternity. This knowledge, this perspective, has far-reaching implications for the way we live our lives today. We are called to "run in such a way as to get the prize". When I ran the APFT, I ran in such a way as to get the prize. I often ask myself, "do I live my life in such as way as to get the prize?" I pray for a constant reminder that my prize is a "crown that will last forever". When I have this eternal perspective, I have discipline in my life.

Reference: 1 Corinthians 9:24-25

David Lee