“Our greatest trials can become our most significant victories.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – October 18, 2025
However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace. Acts 20:24, NIV
I was recently reminded of a painful truth: the older we get, the harder it is to do things that once came easily. In this case, it was a physical reminder of the time it takes for the body to heal from an injury. I was playing soccer in the back yard with my young son, and decided to show him that I could still keep up, yet while sprinting toward the ball at full speed, I managed to trip and fall with all my weight on my shoulder. If my son or his friends were in my shoes, they would have rolled over, laughed, and popped back up to keep playing. I, however, thought this might be the moment I was going to meet my maker, going out of this world in one last act of physical exertion that left me in a defeated heap upon the ground.
All of that to say, it hurt! I was in extreme pain for days and even went to get an X-ray to confirm I hadn’t broken every bone in my shoulder. And as such, it required of me a great amount of effort and focused attention on healing and recovery in order to get back to health. This injury was in every way surprising and unexpected, and an unwelcomed obstacle in the already difficult reality of navigating the limitations of middle age.
In our lives with Christ, we often find ourselves face to face with the spiritual equivalent of a crushed shoulder on the soccer field. In one moment, we feel healthy and capable, running at full speed as we “play the game” of life, and then in an instant, we’re hurtling toward the ground and crash into reality. It can be as simple as a single phone call or text, and seemingly out of the blue, we have an unforeseen hurdle that now feels all-consuming and deeply painful.
Do not be surprised by such moments. In fact, accept that they will inevitably come, and when they do, choose to believe that we have been given a gift. Our greatest trials can become our most significant victories. Why? Because we are formed through the fires of trial, and we become something we otherwise would have never been had they not come our way. It is in the difficulties and struggles of life that we encounter the grace of God in new ways and learn to trust in his provision and care.
We are never promised that the race will be easy, yet let us join our hearts with St. Paul and say, “My only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me.”
Prayer
Father, may our only aim in life be to finish the race you have called us to run, trusting that every hurdle is simply an opportunity to more deeply encounter your loving care, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Application
Ask the Lord today for renewed strength to endure whatever obstacle you face in this season of life.
Related Reading
1 Corinthians 9:24–25; 2 Timothy 4:7; Hebrews 12:1–2
Worship Resource
The Afters: Well Done
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