Don’t Forget Your Vitamins

When I was a little girl, my mom would always say, “Telitha, don’t forget to take your vitamins!” Agh, that phrase would make me cringe. I despised the taste of them…Like eating metal! My little body was not functioning well due to growing up in the Western world, because of the over-processed foods we consumed that lacked vitamins. My mom’s remedy was to take a daily vitamin.

In life, sometimes we have to do things we don’t want to do, hard things, scary things, and sometimes smelly things (Especially if you’re a mom!). We may not want to do them, but these things can actually be a great benefit to us if we examine them more closely. Much like the vitamins I had to take, my body began showing benefits. In the Bible, Romans 5:3-6 reveals that tribulations (the very things we don’t want to go through) can actually help draw out growth in us, making us stronger and more refined.

For instance, when we look at the refining process of gold, we can see that it requires extreme heat to purge the impurities from it. The heat is not merely the temperature at which water boils, but an extreme temperature of approximately 2,000 Degrees Fahrenheit (1093 degrees Celsius). “That’s Hot!” The result, though, is pure refined beauty. In this life, we must all go through trials and tribulations; however, with each task, we are being refined into the masterpiece we were created to be. 

This refinement process reminds me of another story in the Bible, in the book of Genesis. Chapters 37,39,40, and 41. This is the story of a young man named Joseph who went through many trials and tribulations, but through them all he didn’t give up! He didn’t quit, but persevered through them. He came out on the other side of those tribulations refined and exactly where God needed him to be at just the right time. He came out of those trials and tribulations stronger, refined, and ready for his life’s purpose. 

If I can encourage you in this moment, I would say, “ Take Heart, We are all going through the fire in some form, just in different ways! Don’t quit, but push through and Keep Going! My refinement process will look different from yours, but we can’t give up. Not now! There is pure gold to be had at the end.” For the believer, we will get to watch opportunities unfold that we might not otherwise experience. To obtain the benefits we need for our purpose in life, we must ask ourselves, “Am I willing to take the vitamins (tribulations) necessary to get the results I want?”