A Rich Christian Life

A challenge was offered to me.
I started to pass it by,
But then stopped to look more closely,
When its purpose caught my eye.

It did not promise me great fame,
Nor offer a gold reward;
Instead it wanted me to tame,
Give skills I couldn't afford.

It purposed to give me patience,
It wanted my life to touch,
Because my Father's omniscience
Knew I greatly needed such.

He knew I had the time to spend,
And the need for certain skills,
So my Father used an old friend
To tempt me into His will.

He used my strong ride against me -
It made me the challenge take,
For if I possessed those rewards,
I knew I would receive praise.

I took the challenge with vigor,
And with every small success,
I could feel my pride get bigger;
It flared up in great excess.

I had thought that I was winning,
Until God opened my eyes,
And showed me just the beginning
Of the true expected prize.

It was then that I saw the truth;
I began to really work
To see the purpose of my youth
And my duties not to shirk.

It provoked me to repentance
And surrender pure and true,
I now viewed sin with abhorrence,
And from my wrongs, I withdrew.

The challenge itself was not great,
No one thought it very grand,
But it showed me that from that date
My life would never be bland.

My new reliance, through the years,
Gave me adventures each day.
It helped me through my tests and fears,
Made me struggle to obey.

The many lessons that I learned
From that challenge offered me,
Made me thankful I did not spurn
It to live life still cheaply.