The Uphill Battles We Face
Summer afternoons in Texas aren’t usually times where I want to be outside. I would rather have all the AC, ice water, and snacks. Some days my two-year-old agrees with me. He looks out the window and says “hot outside.” He then wants to watch a movie (usually Frozen 2 or Zootopia) and eat fruit sacks or alphabet cookies. But some days he wants to endure the heat to play in his small plastic pool. As I drag the pool into the grass and begin to fill it with water, he collects the soccer balls scattered around the yard and moves his slide into the pool.
As Wesley slides down into the water (sometimes going down head first), I’m grateful for these moments with him. I’ve enjoyed seeing him grow older, become better at communicating his needs, and being able to entertain himself. Our time outside in the pool always makes him laugh, as he splashes and imitates songs and moves from his swim lessons.
But even with all of the fun, he ends up feeling frustrated at some point. Why? Because he tries to climb up his slide rather than going around to take the stairs. He ends up sliding back down into the water every time, barely making any ground.
Uphill Battles
As I watched Wesley doing this a few days ago, it reminded me of the uphill battles we face at times as Christians. Sometimes we face uphill battles that God called us to walk. It’s like when I’m pushing Wesley in his stroller, but it’s a steep hill. It takes effort, endurance, and strength, some of which I have to rely on God for. These are difficult seasons and circumstances that God allows us to face so that we can grow. Oftentimes, they are entirely out of our control. They are struggles that are unexpected, but we are able to make progress and grow within them.
However, we also face uphill battles that are of our own making. Instead of discerning what God has for us or listening to him when he reveals himself to us, we try to go our own way. Like Wesley attempting and failing to climb up his slide, we fight against God’s intention for us. We attempt to control our situation so it works out how we want it to, not how God intends for it to work out.
Like Wesley and his slide, there’s a better way forward, and it’s the way that God intended for us. Instead of fighting battles that we were never called to fight, we need to go around and take the stairs. In other words, we need to stick with God’s plan for our life instead of our own. We have to stop attempting to go our own way and follow God’s way. Our uphill battles are meant to shape us, but they’ll only leave us frustrated if it’s not one that God has called us to endure.
Heart Check
Whenever I find myself feeling frustrated about something in my life, I have to do a heart check. Is this something I’m frustrated about because of unmet expectations, my need for control, or my pride being hurt? Am I trying to do something that God did not call me to do? Sometimes it’s none of these things and is entirely out of my control, which is a frustration I need to give to God. But these other things—they disrupt my peace.
My need to be in charge and for things to go my way are the main cause of discontent in my life, and maybe in yours too. We all have expectations and dreams, but when they’re in line with God and what he has for us, that uphill battle will be one of growth because we are walking hand in hand with God.
If you find yourself frustrated with an uphill battle today, I think it’s important to ask these two questions:
Is this uphill battle one that God has called me to walk? Or
Is this uphill battle one that I’m experiencing because I’m attempting to do things my way instead of God’s?
If your answer to number one is yes, then I’m grateful that you’re following God’s calling. It’s not always an easy road, but God will give us strength when our feet fail. He is doing a great work in you!
If your answer to number two is yes (even if it’s a hesitant yes or a yes that you aren’t quite ready to admit), consider finding the root of the struggle. What about your circumstances is causing you to attempt to do things on your own? Is it an unanswered prayer, a rejection, unmet expectations, or desire for a goal or dream? Maybe you’re chasing after something that only God can give you. Whatever it is, take some time to surrender that to God. Take the stairs, friend. Stop trying to climb that slide because it’s only disrupting your peace and your fun in the sun.
Learning the Lesson
After every failed attempt, Wesley locks eyes with me, willing me to help him climb that slide. But this mama was not going to budge. Sometimes as a parent, I have to allow my child to learn a lesson the hard way. I think God is like that too (I’ve come to appreciate these teachings much more as a mother). He gives us opportunities to change course and to realize that the decisions we are making aren’t really that helpful for us. He’s always watching and always present, but He often gives us space to learn the lesson on our own.
And Wesley finally did. He eventually got up out of the water, walked around the side of the pool, climbed up those stairs, and slid down into the water (head first, as always). As he splashed in the water, I thought to myself of the freedom and peace that comes with walking with God. Even if He calls me to walk paths I never wanted, I would rather cling to Him and find peace there than try to do things on my own.
You see, our efforts will always fail if they are apart from God. Sometimes they’ll look like success. Maybe Wesley will eventually be able to climb to the top of that slide. He could sit at the top and cheer and be proud of himself. To be honest, I probably would be proud of him too. But I’ll always remind him that the better way is the way that God intended for us.
So take the stairs, friend. It’ll be well worth it.