Becoming Spiritual Navy SEALs

This past week I saw the movie “Lone Survivor.”  Based on the NY Times bestseller, the film tells the story of Marcus Luttrell and his Navy SEAL team on an ill-fated mission in Afghanistan. It begins by giving viewers a glimpse of the grueling six-month training program required to become a Navy SEAL. No doubt you have heard how demanding this training is, and how trainees are pushed to the brink in every possible way. They swim miles in the freezing cold Pacific Ocean…in the middle of the night…after watching videos about shark attacks. Hypothermia and pneumonia are common. They run such long distances in heavy combat boots that many sustain stress fractures in their legs and ankles. And if at any point the instructors think a trainee is not performing well enough or with enough enthusiasm, he is invited to get “wet and sandy,” which means running headlong into the frigid ocean and then rolling around on the beach.

Why in the world do these men subject themselves to such agony? I guess it’s because they know that there is purpose in the pain. They are committed to the idea that what doesn’t kill them makes them stronger, knowing that they will come out on the other side as the most well-trained warriors in the world, entrusted with some very important missions.

In the same way, I believe God uses trials as part of a spiritual “training program” designed to help us reach our full potential and live out the purpose for which we were created. Romans 5:3-5 says:

Not only so, but we rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

God is not the author of evil, but He uses everything – including pain and suffering - to make us more like Christ. As Jim Denison says, “God redeems all He allows.” But when we are in the midst of a trial we often don’t see it as an instrument of maturity. Instead, we think that God has forgotten us - or worse – is punishing us. We end up turning away from Him rather than drawing nearer, and then do everything we can in our own strength to stop the pain.

When we realize that there is purpose in the pain, it is much easier to turn to God and let Him do the necessary work to mature us. For it is in the crucible of suffering that we learn to die to ourselves and let Christ live through us. The result is an intimacy with Him and a greater sense of purpose than we have ever known.

I know some who have recently come out on the other side of this training, and it is an awesome thing to behold. I’m seeing businessmen and entertainers, missionaries and pastors emerging from trials with a new sense of calling, ready to be courageous world-changers. Having died to themselves, they are ready to live for God. Their mission is the gospel. Their weapon is love.

To those who are suffering, I want to encourage you. God has not forgotten you, nor is He punishing you. He loves you very much, and has had you in training. Don’t give up on God, but turn to Him with your whole heart. He promises that in due time you will come out on the other side full of perseverance, character, hope, and love by the power of the Holy Spirit. Take heart, and get ready to join the ranks of the world-changers.