This week I’ve begun hardening off some seedlings that I started indoors. Each morning, I bring them out to our back porch and carefully set them down in a sheltered spot. Each evening, I carry them back inside. This process gradually exposes the young plants to outdoor conditions—sunlight, wind, and changing temperatures. Little by little, they adjust and become more resilient. By the time they’re ready to be planted in the garden, they’re much more likely to thrive. It’s the small, controlled stressors that make them strong.
Our bodies respond in a similar way. Muscle growth happens when we apply resistance. Lifting, pulling, and straining in small ways causes tiny tears in the muscle fibers. As the body repairs them, the muscles become stronger than before. The discomfort brings about change. The growth comes through the challenge.
Just like those seedlings and those muscles, we grow through resistance. Yet how quickly we tend to avoid anything that feels difficult. “That’s too much work” or “I just can’t deal with that right now” can become our default responses. We live in a culture of convenience, where so much is available with a tap or a click. We are surrounded by tools and technology that promise to make life easier in an instant, and while convenience has its place, it can also make us complacent.
But growth requires effort and sometimes discomfort. Whether it’s physical strength, emotional maturity, or spiritual depth, it doesn’t happen by accident. The Bible reminds us in Romans 5 that “suffering produces perseverance, perseverance builds character, and character gives us hope.” God often uses life’s smaller struggles to prepare us for something more. Like a gardener preparing a plant, He equips us to handle what’s coming next. But we must be willing to grow.
So instead of avoiding the hard things, what if you leaned into them? What if you embraced one small challenge this week as an opportunity to grow stronger? You could make the difficult phone call. Speak the encouraging word. Begin the habit you’ve been putting off. Whatever it is, don’t shy away from the effort. Let it stretch you. Let it strengthen you. With God’s help, you are more capable than you think.
Growth rarely feels easy, but it’s always meaningful. Start building strength today for a stronger tomorrow.
