Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.” — Genesis 32:28
I used to wonder why runners chose to keep going when they endured so much pain, but then I remembered what was once told me. They enjoy the discomfort that comes with working out hard because it means that their body is transforming. What high-performance athletes know is that it is only through struggle that they can advance and achieve their goals. And the same is true spiritually. We grow through adversity.
While none of us would choose a life of constant struggle and adversity, it’s important to understand that difficulties serve an important purpose in our lives. They, too, are gifts from God. God’s angels come in many forms. Some come to help us through hard times, and others come to create hardship so that we might learn, grow, and change for the better.
Ultimately, our challenges and hard times all come to an end—but the character we develop and the spiritual growth that we experience last for eternity.
