Tuesday, 27 July 2010
Friday, 23 July 2010
Hang in There!
In times of difficulty, tension or uncertainty, keep your act together, stay strong and focus on what lies ahead!
I posted this on my facebook wall, and here are some thoughts on it.
There are tough times in life. Jesus acknowledged that in this world we will have trouble, yet - and this is important - He assured us that He had overcome the world (Jn 16:33). In other words, there will be problems but God already has the solution. What we need to do is trust Him and find that solution. So, hang in there! We need to keep our act together, stay strong and focus on what lies ahead.
(1) Keep our act together
It is tempting to 'throw in the towel' and give up. In boxing, throwing in the towel is the sign of surrender. Remember Rocky? He wouldn't give up, but hang in there - and ultimately that gave him the victory. From this movie - and you may or may not like it, that doesn't matter - we can learn something: it's not how strong you can punch but how much you can take. Life is often a matter of perseverance, and part of that humble patience is keeping our act together. Don't lose it, don't blow up, keep calm - trust God. You know, I learned again that God knows exactly how He can prepare us best for the future; He knows what we need to 'pick up on the way,' that is, learn in the present to prepare us for the future. He has great plans, yet it takes preparation to have the wisdom and character in order to succeed. Keeping your act together under tension is difficult. But unless we learn in these situations, can will we ever learn to manage tension? We have no alternative, friends, but learning it makes the future easier! So, keep your act together!
(2) Stay strong
Inner strength is a tremendous asset. It is a driving force in our hearts and spirit that keeps us going in the right way despite external difficulties. It is in hard times we gain inner strength, that is, if we keep our act together. In England, for example, people are almost proud to be complaining all the time. Yet Scripture tells us to do what we do without complaining (Phil 2:14) - just get on with it and keep a good, positive attitude. Yes, I know, easier said then done. But it's not about doing it right every time; it's about learning how to do it right when we fail and doing it better next time. Hey, God is the God of the second chance; remember Jonah? As a loving Father, He has our growth in mind; He doesn't demand perfection at once! Stay strong in this process, trust God, and be assured, He is preparing you for greatness! So, stay strong in trusting God and developing inner strength.
(3) Focus on the future
The future is bright - at least for those who walk with God and enter all His good plans. The Bible says that for those who love God all things work together for good - yes, all things; not just good things, but all things (Rom 8:28). Today many people have no plans, no future to look forward to, or if they do, it's usually all to do with self-satisfaction etc. But we want God's plans in reality. I'm not talking about the carrot before the donkey (i.e., that we keep seeing something we can never attain). God is a God of fulfillment - He brings about what He promises. Focus is a crucial element for success. John C Maxwell says that 'successful people understand that focus is important to achievement' (The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, p. xx). With the right focus we see temporary problems in the right perspective - they're not as big as they at first seem. Jesus told us to 'speak to mountians,' that is, approach insurmountable problems with faith and God on your side - and you will overcome and succeed! (see Mk 11) So, stay focused!
And always remember this:
God is not slow in coming, although that is how it appears to our human perception of things. Trust Him; He will come through - at the right time! God bless.
There are tough times in life. Jesus acknowledged that in this world we will have trouble, yet - and this is important - He assured us that He had overcome the world (Jn 16:33). In other words, there will be problems but God already has the solution. What we need to do is trust Him and find that solution. So, hang in there! We need to keep our act together, stay strong and focus on what lies ahead.
(1) Keep our act together
It is tempting to 'throw in the towel' and give up. In boxing, throwing in the towel is the sign of surrender. Remember Rocky? He wouldn't give up, but hang in there - and ultimately that gave him the victory. From this movie - and you may or may not like it, that doesn't matter - we can learn something: it's not how strong you can punch but how much you can take. Life is often a matter of perseverance, and part of that humble patience is keeping our act together. Don't lose it, don't blow up, keep calm - trust God. You know, I learned again that God knows exactly how He can prepare us best for the future; He knows what we need to 'pick up on the way,' that is, learn in the present to prepare us for the future. He has great plans, yet it takes preparation to have the wisdom and character in order to succeed. Keeping your act together under tension is difficult. But unless we learn in these situations, can will we ever learn to manage tension? We have no alternative, friends, but learning it makes the future easier! So, keep your act together!
(2) Stay strong
Inner strength is a tremendous asset. It is a driving force in our hearts and spirit that keeps us going in the right way despite external difficulties. It is in hard times we gain inner strength, that is, if we keep our act together. In England, for example, people are almost proud to be complaining all the time. Yet Scripture tells us to do what we do without complaining (Phil 2:14) - just get on with it and keep a good, positive attitude. Yes, I know, easier said then done. But it's not about doing it right every time; it's about learning how to do it right when we fail and doing it better next time. Hey, God is the God of the second chance; remember Jonah? As a loving Father, He has our growth in mind; He doesn't demand perfection at once! Stay strong in this process, trust God, and be assured, He is preparing you for greatness! So, stay strong in trusting God and developing inner strength.
(3) Focus on the future
The future is bright - at least for those who walk with God and enter all His good plans. The Bible says that for those who love God all things work together for good - yes, all things; not just good things, but all things (Rom 8:28). Today many people have no plans, no future to look forward to, or if they do, it's usually all to do with self-satisfaction etc. But we want God's plans in reality. I'm not talking about the carrot before the donkey (i.e., that we keep seeing something we can never attain). God is a God of fulfillment - He brings about what He promises. Focus is a crucial element for success. John C Maxwell says that 'successful people understand that focus is important to achievement' (The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, p. xx). With the right focus we see temporary problems in the right perspective - they're not as big as they at first seem. Jesus told us to 'speak to mountians,' that is, approach insurmountable problems with faith and God on your side - and you will overcome and succeed! (see Mk 11) So, stay focused!
And always remember this:
For [God] says, 'at the acceptable time I listened to you, and on the day of salvation I helped you.'
--2 Corinthians 6:2 (NASB)
God is not slow in coming, although that is how it appears to our human perception of things. Trust Him; He will come through - at the right time! God bless.
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