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Whether it is Chuck Norris sliding up and down on his Total Gym, Duane Johnson (The Rock) pumping iron, or everyday Joe’s struggling in the gym, everyone knows that there is seldom growth without resistance—at least not the good kind of growth.

Expanding waistlines might develop naturally enough; however, increasing muscle mass, flexibility, and strength only comes through pushing against resistance.

It’s a terrible metaphor—not because it’s inaccurate or untrue—but because it’s just so painful.

No one likes resistance. No one likes to be challenged and stretched and pushed to the breaking point. And yet wise personal trainers know that the breaking point is actually the starting point for personal growth and development.

It is in carrying burdens too heavy for us that we learn to develop what the Bible calls endurance. The Greek word for endurance is hupomone, and it refers to the quality of character that refuses to collapse under heavy burdens.

• It’s what Joseph had when he was unjustly thrown in to Potiphar’s dungeon.
• It’s what Moses had when Pharaoh’s chariots were bearing down on him.
• It’s what David had when he spent years on the run from King Saul.
• It’s what YOU will need to fulfill God’s destiny for your life.

In Isaiah 43 God promises that floods and fires won’t drown or consume us. I wish the promise was that we could bypass those things altogether, but the reality is that sometimes resistance needs to be faced—even when we are walking in obedient fellowship with God.

God is not trying to squish you under your heavy burdens—He’s giving you strength, character, and a spiritual six-pack. He’s training you today for where He’s taking you tomorrow.