No Challenge; no Growth

Nothing worth any merit can be achieved without its prerequisite sacrifices, neither can it come without challenge…

Where I work, there are framers, plumbers, electricians, welders, etc. But none of them can be considered professionals. No, they are not professionals, they are merely experienced in their trades. A professional carries about a sense of pride and quality about the work that he/she does. Excellence shines through every calculated inch. But how does someone become so excellent at something? They go through a stage of training, a learning process, something that not only gives them experience, but knowledge and familiarity in that area of study. They work, they spend years of their life honing this skill that matters to them.

You may not notice it, but this is what separates an enthusiast from a professional (an expert). At work, I can learn how to wire a thermostat, even how to handle live wires, but I am no electrician. An electrician has a larger library of knowledge and a grasp of why things work the way they do. They risk potential death if they overstep any bounds their training has set forth.

For a professional artist, he/she needs a different kind of education that he/she can only attain through years of experience. Someone can pick up a paint brush and paint a pretty picture, but an expert knows why those elements work the way they do because he/she has studied it immensely for the sake of excelling in his/her occupation. It can be a frustrating experience to have to fail so many times before you get it right, but professionals are familiar with failure enough to realize it as part of the learning process, they hold closely to their craft even though they may make little profit in return for what they do.

A musician must sink several thousand hours into an instrument to be considered proficient at that instrument. Likewise, a composer must have a collective knowledge of all instruments and musicians present and how to symbolize them in a written orchestration that is to be interpreted by someone who is seeing their work for the first time. Years on top of years are imparted to this skill, yet those who are happy with their position would not wish to trade any of those years they spent practicing for doing something more shallowly enjoyable.

And it is the same for you. Any path you have chosen for your future and career must meet you with challenges, there are no easy paths to your full potential. Whatever career choice you have made, whatever talent you feel called to master, must be seen all the way through; do not do anything halfway. Do not chase after treasure maps that lead you into this ancient trap of prosperity without the sacrifice. Do not fear challenge or pain or loss, embrace it, for if you are focused on God, He can only lead you to greater heights.