"Have you suffered yet?"

It was a sobering question posed to me from a life-long missionary. It emerged out of a seemly superficial conversation that took a turn for the soul level. She asked me this as if there were no way around it. That in our pursuit of God, there would be suffering. She asked me as if to ascertain what kind of person she was talking to in that moment. It really impacted me.

In retrospect, one thing has really surprised me along my journey through Chrstiandom and church leadership:

How incredibly intense of a butt whooping I can be handed; and, through Christ, how I have been able to keep moving forward and not quit.

I've also seen this spiritual grit and tenacity in other people's lives and through their stories.

Have you ever sat alone in your car and cried and snotted your eyes out with nowhere to go, battling it out with the temptation to just give up? Have you ever had to face the bone crushing giant of bitterness, dissilsionment, pain, and resentment?

Destiny isnt it for the weak of heart. It will test your mettle. It will take you to the point of breaking down, where you're unable to take another step-and ask if you if you'd like to keep going. It will hit you so hard that it knocks the wind out of you. Then it will stand, leering over you, daring you to get back up.

And you will.

You will because you are a champion.

You will because you were born for adversity.

You will because you were born to feel the fire, to take the hits, and to keep pressing forward.

You were born for battle.

"I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." -Phillipians 4:13