Trouble: Your Catalyst for Greatness

Your active response to trouble will propel you forward.

I listened to the young man speak as he stood over his mother’s casket. He said that years ago, when he graduated from college, his proud father wrote many words expressing his belief that his son would accomplish great things in life.

The young man’s proud mother finished the note with a few words: “Son…life is hard, but enjoy the journey.” Her words were a comfort to him at this difficult time in his life.

I have four children, and I have the privilege to speak into the lives of many young people. At some point, those who look to you for guidance and inspiration need to hear some version of this mother’s words because life is hard. They also need to know that through it all, they can enjoy the journey.

Retirement has allowed me the opportunity to survey the landscape of sixty-plus years of living. Upon reflection, the hardness of life disciplined me, toughened me, focused me, took a lot of the quit out of me, and woke up the fighter in me.

My father used to tell me that nothing of value in life comes easy. Crisis, trouble, hardness -whatever you want to call it- is essential to our growth and development and maturing us in our walk with God.

We all have blind spots; hopefully, someone will care enough to point these areas out to us. But scholarly studies show that most of our deliberate efforts to change fail. There is a remedy called trouble.

Trouble like Moses backed up against the Red Sea with Pharaoh’s army in pursuit. The crisis of Hezekiah, who was already sick and at the point of death, when the prophet Isaiah informed him that he would die. The dilemma of barren Hannah, heartbroken and ridiculed by her rival Peninnah. The plight of Peter chained between two guards and facing execution at daybreak after Herod put the apostle James to death. *

Trouble produced a passion, a resolve, commitment, and fire that moved them from stagnation to activation. You’ve got to do something! The troubled always play a key role in their deliverance. 

God told Moses to stop talking to Him and do something! Moses stretched out his hands over the Red Sea, and the rest is history. Hezekiah stopped making burial arrangements and boldly told God why he deserved to live longer. God added 15 years to his life.

Hannah went to the house of God and prayed out of the bitterness of her soul; a year later, Samuel was born. James’ execution inspired Peter’s friends to pray so intensely that a supernatural jailbreak ensued, rescuing Peter from destruction.

Why do I bring all this up? Because I’ve got trouble, and you’ve got trouble. Want to get out of that trouble? Do something!  The troubled always play a key role in their deliverance.  

Trouble was the platform that propelled these Biblical characters forward in God’s purposes. I can relate.

I’ll never forget back in late 2014 when I thought I had the “trouble to end all troubles.” I heard the late Myles Munroe say that whenever God is about to bring change in your life, He always sends a crisis. I thought the situation would end my career, but it eventually propelled me into my dream job.

Got a problem? Take action, get moving, and turn up the intensity. As Andy Dufresne said in The Shawshank Redemption, “Get busy living or get busy dying.” Your active response to trouble will propel you forward.

How can you enjoy this journey full of trouble? God promised to be with you, to deliver you and to give you a long life: “He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.” (Psalms 91:16-17)

Reframe your trouble. See it for what it is: your “Catalyst for Greatness.” God is with you, and He promises to deliver you. Enjoy the journey, and we will see each other in the WINNER’s circle. God Bless! Press On!! Kevin Willis

*Moses’ triumph at the Red Sea (Exodus 14:5-31); Hezekiah’s extension (2 Kings 20:1-6); Hannah’s prayer (1 Samuel 1:7-20); Peter’s jailbreak (Acts 12:1-17)