The importance of facing life’s challenges head-on

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. — 1 Corinthians 16:13

Researcher Spencer Silver from 3M was curious about what would happen if he mixed an unusual amount of monomer into a polymer-based adhesive he was working on. The result was an adhesive that would “tack” one piece of paper to another and even re-stick, without leaving any residue on the second piece of paper.

The company had no use for the new adhesive until 3M chemist Arthur Fry began having problems in the choir loft. The slips of paper he used to mark pages in his hymnal often fluttered to the floor, leaving him frantically searching for his place. Then he remembered Silver’s adhesive.

Fry’s better bookmark soon metamorphosed into the handy Post-it Notes that have become a fixture in offices throughout the world.

It’s very often true in life that some of the greatest things are born out of challenges. Had Arthur Fry not have reached a point of frustration with his hymnal, offices all over the globe today might not be filled with those florescent little sticky notes that have now become so commonplace.

Instead of giving up when you encounter a challenge or a struggle in your life, find out what God is doing. Seek Him and ask Him what He wants to accomplish through it. Because when you have the courage to face life’s challenges head-on, you never know the impact it will have!

Prayer Challenge

Pray that God would give you the courage not to back down when challenges come your way.

Questions for thought

As you look back at your life up to now, have you typically seen challenges as something to be avoided or embraced? Why is that?

What tangible steps can you take to become more resilient in the face of life’s challenges?