“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” — James 1:2-4

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Following a surprising win in this year’s ATP Delray Beach Open final, tennis player Sebastian Korda posted a simple but profound statement on social media: “Grow through what you go through.” Those few words summed up a complex journey for both his personal life and career that he likes to describe as “taking the scenic route.”

The son of former world No. 2 and grand slam champion Petr Korda, Sebastian is a first-generation American whose climb to the top of the tennis game has been anything but smooth. Starting in 2024, Korda began to battle some injuries that kept him out of the sport for the majority of the next two seasons. The triumph in Delray Beach was his first title in a couple years, having overcome a lot to get back in form.

But as a tennis fan who has followed Korda’s young career for several years, I knew his statement about growth ran deeper than just tennis. While watching his matches at Delray Beach, I noticed the cross around his neck. That was something he’d never worn before. Additionally, there was an indescribable peace and a glow to his countenance that gave away the fact that he had encountered God in a profound way during these past couple of years away from the game.

That was solidified a few weeks later at the Miami Open when Korda revealed his newfound faith in an interview following his surprising win over world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, who had only lost once all season. When asked what contributed to this recent turnaround in his mentality and his game, Korda said, “I think the two main [reasons] were commitment and belief. I was reading my Bible this morning. Mark 9:23: ‘Anything is possible for the one who believes.’ That was the only thing I was thinking in my head the whole entire time. I was going to control whatever I could control on my side. I was going to be positive. I was going to be committed.”

Grow through what you go through.

It’s a truth applicable to not only the world of sports but also to life. All of us face difficulties that challenge our faith, our trust and our hope. We all struggle with doubts and fears and questions about the goodness of God and His plan when life gets rough.

And yet, when we see these adversities through the lens of Scripture, we are shown a deeper meaning to them all that gives us a reason to walk through them. We are asked to rejoice because these trials produce character in us (James 1:2-4, above) that cannot be acquired otherwise. It’s the valley seasons that bring us to our knees and allow God to shape and transform us, molding us into the image of His Son Jesus as we surrender in faith to Him and His will. Uncomfortable? Yes. Worth it? Also yes.

Even though we may encounter things we would not otherwise want or choose, these may be the very things God wants to use in our story to take us to the next level with Him.

— Katherine Singer

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