Character is Formed under Fire

Theme: Character is Formed under Fire

Verse: Endurance produces character, and character produces hope. (Romans 5:4)

The second greatest tradition in sports has to be the handshake line at the end of hockey playoff series. (The first is the order the Academies sing their respective alma maters after inter-Service Academy football games. Go Air Force! Beat Army! Beat Navy!) But back to hockey: Athletic warriors have just spent a week to 10 days battling for each loose puck and ramming each other into the boards all while skating around 20-30 miles per hour. THEN after all that, the victors pause their celebration to honor their vanquished foe who stays on the ice in their moment of disappointment to congratulate their conqueror.

There’s a great takeaway in both of these traditions. Both demonstrate the character of the participants. After they battle, when the struggle is complete, both sides honor the others’ effort, showing respect for the other as a team and as individuals.

Struggles are not confined to sports fields of play. We all have them in many ways throughout our lives. While no one likes them while amidst them, they have a role in creating who we are.

In Daniel 3, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego faced an unimaginable trial by fire (literally). When they refused to worship a false god, they were thrown into a fiery furnace where the true God protected them from harm. When the king who had sentenced them saw them come out unharmed, he immediately praised our God recognizing that He alone could save in a way that earthly false gods could not.

Our trials hopefully are only metaphorically going into a fiery furnace. But whatever they are, they present opportunities for God to transform us, making us unshakable in our faith and His power unmistakable.

Every season of life will have some adversity; injuries, setbacks, disappointments. Each of those is an opportunity to GROW and BE TRANSFORMED. Without them our character’s sword cannot be sharpened.

Embrace the challenges of life. Praise God that we have them so our character can be formed by fire.

Have a GREAT Week!

Adapted from True Competitor by Dan Britton and Jimmy PageTheme: Character is Formed under Fire

Verse: Endurance produces character, and character produces hope. (Romans 5:4)

The second greatest tradition in sports has to be the handshake line at the end of hockey playoff series. (The first is the order the Academies sing their respective alma maters after inter-Service Academy football games. Go Air Force! Beat Army! Beat Navy!) But back to hockey: Athletic warriors have just spent a week to 10 days battling for each loose puck and ramming each other into the boards all while skating around 20-30 miles per hour. THEN after all that, the victors pause their celebration to honor their vanquished foe who stays on the ice in their moment of disappointment to congratulate their conqueror.

There’s a great takeaway in both of these traditions. Both demonstrate the character of the participants. After they battle, when the struggle is complete, both sides honor the others’ effort, showing respect for the other as a team and as individuals.

Struggles are not confined to sports fields of play. We all have them in many ways throughout our lives. While no one likes them while amidst them, they have a role in creating who we are.

In Daniel 3, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego faced an unimaginable trial by fire (literally). When they refused to worship a false god, they were thrown into a fiery furnace where the true God protected them from harm. When the king who had sentenced them saw them come out unharmed, he immediately praised our God recognizing that He alone could save in a way that earthly false gods could not.

Our trials hopefully are only metaphorically going into a fiery furnace. But whatever they are, they present opportunities for God to transform us, making us unshakable in our faith and His power unmistakable.

Every season of life will have some adversity; injuries, setbacks, disappointments. Each of those is an opportunity to GROW and BE TRANSFORMED. Without them our character’s sword cannot be sharpened.

Embrace the challenges of life. Praise God that we have them so our character can be formed by fire.

Have a GREAT Week!

Adapted from True Competitor by Dan Britton and Jimmy Page