There is a misbegotten notion among the Christian Faithful, that faithfulness leads to an idyllic state during their mortal probation. I was chastised this morning when I told a friend of mine who is a young mother that her trials will escalate and that new challenges will emerge with each child and in each successive life phase. Although she knows that is true, she told me that telling that to young parents was likely to get me punched for my troubles. Well, that’s just the beginning of the paradox.
Never having been a blacksmith, I have however observed the process. In order to make the finest of steel, the carbon-iron mixture must be repeatedly heated, cooled, and beaten until the right amount of carbon is removed to make the metal perfect. Historically, artisans of different regions made swords and armor of different quality in proportion to the price people were willing to pay for the tempering process, and it was recognized that Spanish steel was superior. Another paradox.
As we grow in our faith, sometimes we are prone to want to believe that the worst is behind us. That is anything but the truth. In fact, if you desire to be like Christ, you must bear the things He suffered, which means you can expect at some level and at some point in your life to experience the same things as He. As you pass each trial and prove your faithfulness, you will be elevated to a new difficulty level which will invite trials of greater frequency and intensity to face you. You have proven yourself worthy of advancement to new challenges and they come to face you.
Paradoxically, in matters of faith this is the only part of our lives where we expect different. As we play video games, participate in martial arts, compete for promotions at work, move through school, every level becomes more difficult than the last as new challenges and more burdens become ours to carry. We have proven ourselves and been advanced, and more is expected of us. In our faith, we expect after standing the trial to be led to a land flowing with milk and honey to play harps and lounge around all day. How in Hoboken does that make sense?
My theory as to why there are so few good and truly faithful people is because they have registered albeit subconsciously that this phenomenon exists. They expect rewards for faithfulness and receive instead more difficult trials to prove them. As opposition mounts, many quit the race of life and go after the rewards they seek, trading what they want most for what they want in the moment. The road to salvation looks hard at first and seems to get more difficult, and so many people opt for the low road instead. The trouble is that you never reach the top of the mountain by taking a low road, and so you will never know the view from the summit. The paradox is that everyone wants to see things from on high but that only those willing to pay the price may enjoy the rewards.
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