“In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” John 16:33 NIV.
Motivational author and speaker Tony Robbins says, “Your problem is your gift.”
I didn’t understand that for a long time. I thought my problem was, well, my problem, and therefore something I didn’t want in my life. We say things like, “Oh, he’s got problems” like it’s a stigma, conveniently ignoring the fact that we all have problems.
But here’s the deal. Our problems are our greatest source of growth spiritually, emotionally, and physically. What we call problems are the flashing red lights and yellow police tape cordoning off the scene of our greatest potential. What if we welcomed our problems into our homes like our best friends, giving them the best seat in the house? They’ve shown up to bless us, if we could only see it that way.
Rumi, the 11th century Persian poet and forerunner of the self-help movement of his day, says, “The wound is the place where the light enters you.” To deny our struggles is to prolong them. To welcome them as God’s path to maturity is our first step to a deeper sense of wholeness, a deeper love, and a more serene humility about being human. To close ourselves off from our wounds and problems means we’re shutting out the very thing we need more of, God’s light.