As we complete the 19th week after Pentecost, our readings are taken from Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians and Luke’s Gospel. They seem to contain two rather different messages.

In Paul’s letter he shares the fact that he was given a “thorn in the flesh” in order that he might not become conceited. He also reveals that he prayed to God that this thorn might leave him but the response from God was simply this: My grace is enough for you, for in weakness power reaches perfection. Paul then shares his response to this message from God saying: And so I willingly boast of my weaknesses instead, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Paul is truly sharing with us how he came to understand that the challenge – the cross – given to him by life was his way to salvation.

In our reading from Luke’s Gospel we hear the story of Christ calling His first disciples. He, a carpenter, asked fishermen to put out into the deep for a catch of fish even though they had toiled all night and caught nothing. Peter, after he informed Jesus of this fact, says: but if you say so, I will lower the nets.

Of course, as one might expect, they caught so many fish that another boat had to come and help them. Upon seeing this great catch Peter again addresses Jesus and says: Leave me, Lord. I am a sinful man. It was obvious that he didn’t believe they would catch any fish even though he did what Jesus asked.

Although we have heard over and over again that life’s challenges are opportunities for us to spiritually grow and that God has and will give us sufficient strength to meet these challenges, I suspect that more frequently than not, we probably don’t put much trust in these words and don’t believe that good will come out of the challenges we have to face. The all too human response seems to be: its too hard or its not easy! Somehow we humans seem to believe that to come by good things has to be easy and we fear having to put effort into our spiritual growth.

Perhaps that is the real challenge of life, overcoming the thought that only good things in life have to easily come to us and that there is no real value in those things that are difficult to achieve. I bet if you asked any of our Olympian athletes, they will tell you how wrong this thinking is. They know that good only comes from hard work.

Ask yourself: Am I really willing to do the work needed to come to the fullness of life?