Today, the International Space Station is in the news for something shocking: it doesn’t have ENOUGH germs. In the closed environment of the space station, astronauts are not exposed to the normal mix of microbes that are found naturally on the planet. Without those working against the immune system, the people residing on the station have faced a variety of rashes & skin issues, including shingles. Now, NASA is studying ways to introduce more of these microbes to create a healthier environment for those living in space.

That’s not naturally how we think. We think that if we can remove as many obstacles to health as we possibly can, we would expect a healthier environment. When it comes to our day-to-day living, our preference is to scrub it of hardship, challenge, problems, and trials. But one sage in my life said to me, “There’s no teacher better than pain.” Strength coaches know it. It’s the tearing down of muscle that motivates the growth of muscle. Every distance runner knows it. The burn of additional distance creates more stamina.

Paul talks about this effect on the soul. Peter provides a parallel take in his letter to the early church. Jesus certainly didn’t shy away from asking the disciples to face hard things. What did they know 2000 years ago that our NASA biologists could affirm in the environmental realm? Spiritual challenges grow spiritual stamina. James says it well:  Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.  For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. (James 1:2-4)

A coach would say, “Embrace the Burn!”

James says, “Embrace the trouble. . .”

Pursue spiritual stamina.