Challenges: The Hidden Blessings of Life

The Nature of Desire and Self-Interest

Self-interest is the strongest passion within every human being. Each man and woman is full of desires, and each feels compelled to fulfil them. This universal condition gives rise to corruption, injustice, and countless social evils.

According to the creation plan of God, human beings are free. This freedom makes it impossible to completely eliminate social evils. What, then, should a person do? The answer is not to seek a perfect world, but rather to save oneself from exploitation in a world where exploitation exists. Instead of complaining about the problem, one must learn how to face it—and even turn it to one’s advantage.

Challenges: A Pathway to Growth

The presence of selfishness, competition, and conflict is not necessarily an evil. In fact, it is a hidden blessing. Challenges create opportunities for growth, innovation, and the unfolding of human potential. Without them, life becomes stagnant and progress halts.

A Lesson from Nature

I once visited a zoo and saw a large deer park designed to resemble the natural environment. Surprisingly, the deer there had lost their fertility. The reason, as a zoo official explained, was the absence of predators. In the wild, deer lived under constant threat from wolves, which kept them active and alert. In the zoo, where no danger existed, they became physically and mentally inactive, and their reproductive systems weakened.

To solve this, the zoo introduced a wolf into the enclosure from time to time. The fear revived the deer’s natural instincts—they became active again, and their fertility returned.

This natural law applies not only to animals but also to human beings. Just as the deer needed a challenge to thrive, humans need constant challenges to unlock their true potential.

The So-Called “Problem of Evil”

What philosophers call the “problem of evil” is, in reality, the problem of challenge. Life’s difficulties are not obstacles—they are the very conditions that keep human creativity alive. Poverty, hardship, unpleasant situations, even disabilities—all are challenges that push us to grow.

Every Challenge is a Stepping Stone

Life is full of challenges, and each one is a disguised blessing. Every disadvantage contains within it an opportunity for advancement. Challenges are the stepping stones upon which human progress is built.

✨ The secret of life is not to wish away difficulties, but to recognize them as the forces that awaken and shape our hidden potential.

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Source: Leading a Spiritual Life, Goodword Books. Download PDF