Booker T Washington wrote “I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed.” “The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly; it is dearness only that gives everything its value.” says Thomas Paine. One of the tragedies of our times is that we are so obsessed with the idea of a comfortable and a smooth life that every tragedy whether it is big or small is seen as a threat to our life or existence. When was the last time you saw a man or woman who truly smiled in trouble or tragedy?
Nothing inspires me like a true story of overcoming obstacles or adversity. If you look into my personal collection of movies, more than half of them are stories of people who overcame obstacles that could have destroyed their lives. To some extent tragedy and pain are part of every human life, but it is amazing how some people persist despite the odds while many give up even without a fight. As William A Ward says “Adversity causes some men to break, and others to break records.”
One of the tragedies of our times is that we are so obsessed with the idea of a comfortable and a smooth life that every tragedy whether it is big or small is seen as a threat to our life or existence.
Dealing with obstacles is part of life; the question is not whether we will deal with obstacles or not, but how we will deal with obstacles. Abraham Lincoln dealt with abject poverty, Franklin Roosevelt dealt with paralysis, Albert Einstein dealt with learning disorders, Helen Keller dealt with multiple disabilities, Booker T Washington and Martin Luther King Jr dealt with harsh racial discrimination. John Maxwell notes “A study of three hundred highly successful people….reveals that one-fourth had handicaps, such as blindness, deafness, or crippled limbs. Three fourth had either been born in poverty, came from broken homes, or at least came from exceedingly tense or disturbed situations.”
People respond or react to tragedies in different ways. Some accept them as part of life and try to look for ways to overcome them, many become bitter and disheartened in life, they let the tragedy dictate their destiny.
In a sense every tragedy or obstacle is a temporary interruption in your smooth sailing life. Often it rocks your boat so hard that you tend to lose balance and are out of control at least for some time. People respond or react to tragedies in different ways. Some accept them as part of life and try to look for ways to overcome them, many become bitter and disheartened in life, they let the tragedy dictate their destiny. There is an interesting study done by some psychologists and social workers in more than 20 countries to see how people respond to tragedy. The findings show that about 30% of the people rebound stronger than ever (they thrive through tragedies), another 50% learn how to cope with the tragedy (they learn to survive), while the remaining never seem to totally recover from their tragedy.
Stephen R. Covey says “Opposition is a natural part of life. Just as we develop our physical muscles through overcoming opposition – such as lifting weights – we develop our character muscles by overcoming challenges and adversity.” One of the important requirements of growth is that we face and deal with challenges in life, we don’t grow in life by avoiding challenges; we grow by overcoming that which attempts to limit us. Nobody would ever criticize Helen Keller if she never wrote anything in her life, but though her multiple physical limitations tried to limit her, she used the opposition as the wind against which she soared high in life. Helen Keller says “The marvelous richness of human experience would lose something of rewarding joy if there were no limitations to overcome.”
The Bible is filled with examples of men and women who overcame several obstacles. Unlike many others who rely on natural solutions to tragedies, as children of God we have the advantage of trusting the all-powerful and loving God for strength and direction. Christian life is never easy, but it is also never without hope. Noah had to deal with his mockers and bear the flood, Moses had to deal with the unbelieving Israelites and cross the red sea, Daniel had to deal with the Babylonians and face the lions, Jesus had to deal with the Pharisees and carry the cross. Bernice Reagon says “Life’s challenges are not supposed to paralyze you; they’re supposed to help you discover who you are.”
Noah had to deal with his mockers and bear the flood, Moses had to deal with the unbelieving Israelites and cross the red sea, Daniel had to deal with the Babylonians and face the lions, Jesus had to deal with the Pharisees and carry the cross.
– – Author: Rev. Francis Burgula – –
