There is an old proverb of unknown origin that speaks of a man who has fallen into a hole and sees no way out. He hollers for help. Eventually, a rugged man walks by, and upon hearing the man’s plea and seeing his predicament, tells the man that he needs to pick himself up by the bootstraps and find a way out on his own, before going on his way.
We live in a world that is not the way God intended it to be when He created it. When sin entered His perfect creation, all of it was subject to its fruit. Let’s face it, discouragement is not from God, but it is one of Satan’s tools that gives us a feeling of hopelessness.
Personal development is not an event. Neither is it a one-size-fits-all experience. Development takes time, tests, failure and overcoming. God knows each one of us individually. He knows what we each need in order to develop and strengthen our spiritual muscles and sharpen our spiritual insight and wisdom. More often than not, this requires detours in life to allow us the opportunity to learn, grow and develop.
When you were in school, you would have to take regular tests. These tests let the teacher know where you stood on the material you needed to learn. If you were unable to pass these tests, then more assignments and more tests would have to be given.
In the blockbuster film Inception, the main characters discovered a way to enter into another realm—the realm of dreams. While the dreams appeared to be as vivid and as authentic as the real world where they were currently sleeping, the dream realm was not their reality.