The Katana sword is considered one of the most rigid swords in the world. It was the ultimate weapon against the enemies at the hand of a skilled samurai. Indestructible, powerful. But to get there there is an unimaginable amount of “suffering”.
The Katana is not just a piece of metal. The Katana has 65,000 (sixty five thousand) layers. What is a layer you may ask?
To build a Katana, in the old days, it would take as many as 30 craftsmen over a full year to build one single sword. They would collect the purest materials, iron sand, carbon and charcoal then they melt those to get the first block of steel. It takes continuous forgin at very high temperatures for 72 hrs for the first block!
Then they begin folding. They fold the sword to create two layers to extract impurities and to give more strength to the metal. This steel block is put in extremely high heat and hammered thousands of times, then cooled briskly and heated, hammered and cooled again and again and again.
They fold the sword 16 times to get 65,536 layers! And then they shape, polish, sharpen and decorate to finally be a weapon against the enemy.
Why all this? Because iron in its raw form is brittle. It breaks easily, very easily. Even Steel if not purified is not strong. To become the strongest metal on earth it needs this purification and forging process.
But bcn you imagine if the iron had consciousness? Can you imagine the suffering and pain it would be going through? Put into a 1000 degree furnace, then beat up relentlessly, then cooled down violently, then heated again and pounded again and again and again. Can you imagine the iron agony while going through this process? He would be saying: “Why Lord? Why all this suffering? Why do you allow me to go through this endless suffering?
But if the iron saw how powerful it is becoming it would certainly endure the suffering with joy. If the iron understood that it was being molded to become the ultimate weapons again the enemy it would all make sense.
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Romans 8:18
And we know that people that went through hell on earth but kept a positive outlook and never lost sight of their goals made big. Every self made millionaire has a story of suffering. Virtually every single one of them. And all agree that that suffering made them into the person they are today.
But what if you are like me, I don’t like suffering. I’m weak. I really don’t like to suffer.
“Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope” Romans 5:3-4
“Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin.” 1 Peter 4:1
We don’t have to grow only by physical suffering we also grow by helping and loving those who are suffering. By emphasising with their problems and lending them a hand you will also grow and become a powerful weapon against the enemy.
“God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them”. Hebrews 6:10
So think ahead, don’t focus on the pain, the doubt the suffering. Think how strong you are becoming and how powerful, indestructible you will become. If God has you under distress is to strengthen you. If God has put you in a painful situation is because he sees your potential. He trusts you will become his most powerful weapon against the enemy.