Let's be real: We all struggle. There are some things we're good at, and some things we aren't. And, sometimes, even the things we are good at are too much for us. When there is too much going on... there is too much going on. Too much is too much. By definition. So we need to learn to say no. We need to learn to set boundaries. We need to learn that we don't have to--and in fact cannot--do everything. I always say, "I can do anything, but I can't do everything." Which is to say, one thing at a time. Which is to say that we need to have our priorities straight. So we don't burn out. So we don't try to take on too much. It's like one of those people who spin plates on those little rods. The more plates you try to spin, the more likely they are to all fall down. I think what I'm trying to say is that sometimes we find ourselves on the struggle bus... but sometimes we put ourselves there. I'm NOT saying life doesn't happen. Because we all know it does. Every single day. Sometimes the hardest part about life is simply living it. Simply making it from the start of the day to the end of the day. And if you do that... don't take it lightly. That can be a major accomplishment. Now let me say this: Even when we make things harder on ourselves... God still has our backs. He will help us clean up a mess... even if we are the ones who made it. God is not a God of blame. Love does not keep a record of right and wrong. The blame game is a game with no winners. Instead of trying to assign blame, I have always thought it was more important to just help everybody involved as much as possible. To make things good. And, listen, I understand how hard that can be sometimes. Especially when you're in the midst of trials and tribulations. Jesus told us we could be of good cheer because He has overcome the world. But that's almost an acquired skill. It, like everything else, takes practice. Checking ourselves before we wreck ourselves. Going through things but not letting things go through us. Taking the lesson from situation. Seeing everything as either a lesson or a blessin'. Learning and growing as we experience and enjoy this eternal, everlasting, abundant, Resurrection Life of love that is the gift of God. See, He's already given it to us. Already given us the keys to the Kingdom. We have what we need. And because we have it, we can let Jesus take the wheel. We don't have to keep plowing ahead, trying to force things to be how we think they should be. We can let things be what they are. We can let PEOPLE be who they are. Even if we're riding the struggle bus. Even if THEY'RE riding the struggle bus. And that's so important--just like we're always going through stuff... so are they. People are always fighting battles that they probably aren't talking about. So we need to be kind. We need to give grace, even as our heavenly Father has given us grace. Freely we have received, freely we can give. Giving what we've got. Letting what's inside come out. That's what love is. That's how we live this life. That's how we turn the struggle bus around, or get off of it altogether!

For a long time I've said--because I believe it--that we should never look down on anybody... unless we are reaching down to help them up. Because we all fall down sometimes. We all ride, or even drive, the struggle bus at different points in our lives. It's not always smooth sailing. Life doesn't always (or ever, really) go the way we think it will. Or the way we think it should. Because a lot of the time it's more wishful thinking than anything else. We want what we want (which is kind of like saying water is wet... of course we want what we want, otherwise we wouldn't want it) and when we don't get what we want we lash out. Throw a fit. Get caught up in the disappointment. When, in reality, it's more important to figure out what we NEED (and what other people need) than anything else. Because needs are more important than wants. And needs are simpler. We need food, clothing, shelter, things of that nature. And we need love. Love is to humans like gas is to cars--without it you can't go anywhere or do anything. Love is our go-juice, if I can say it that way. So when we're struggling... when we really feel like we can't go on... the only thing to do is fill ourselves with what we've already been filled with. Let what's inside of us--what's REALLY inside of us, which is the love of God--fill us to overflowing so that it comes out naturally. And we do that by knowing and believing that it's in there. By letting Jesus take the wheel. By trusting in Him to take care of our needs, and not worrying so much about our wants. I always say this to: The most simple way to love someone is to see a need and meet it. And I say "simple" but not always necessarily "easy." Because identifying what a person needs can take some work. It can take some effort. Sometimes people wear their hearts on their sleeves... but sometimes they don't. Sometimes it's the stuff beneath the surface that you need to dig a little deeper to find. And that doesn't mean you have to be in their face, or invasive. That doesn't mean you have to shove Jesus down someone's throat--all that will get you is for the person you're trying to help to choke on it. And that doesn't help. Ever. At all. So what we need to do is be kind to each other. To understand that everybody rides the struggle bus, from time to time. Everybody is fighting a battle. And you might not have any idea. So don't kick people when they're down. Don't judge by appearance. Judge righteous judgment. Every time I see someone trying to better themselves, I give a "You go girl! (or guy)." Encouragment. Because that's a hard thing to do. Espeically when you feel like you don't have anything to give. There's a song lyric that says, "When you can't hold on... hold on." I like to say, "When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hold on!" Because it came to pass, not to stay. The ride on the struggle bus can be a lot shorter if you stop trying so hard to do it all yoruself. If, again, you let Jesus take the wheel. If you make a U-turn. Stop plowing ahead, just because that's the way you've been going. Stop doing things just because that's the way you've always done them. Break the cycle. There's a more excellent way. And His name is Jesus. His name is love!

I think there is a lot to be said about ministering out of your own hurt. Giving even when you feel like you don't have anything to give. I think that's powerful. I think that says a lot about the person doing it. A lot about their faith. Because you can't give what you don't have, and you can only give what you do have. So when you find yourself in the midst of trouble and tribulation, and you can still help someone else... I think that's incredible. Here's the key to all that though: You have to know your source of strength. You have to know that you can be of good cheer in the midst of your struggles. That it doesn't matter what you're going through, because it doesn't have to go through you. That's one of my favorite translations from the Message Bible--when Peter was walking on water, and then turned his eyes to the wind and waves (the storms) all around him, and started to sink. "Jesus didn't hesitate. He reached down and grabbed his hand. Then he said, "Faint-heart, what got into you?"" Because that's the question that really matters. What you get into isn't as important as what gets into you. It's kind of the idea of checking yourself instead of wrecking yourself. Looking at the silver lining, even in the midst of the dark clouds. Because every cloud DOES have a silver lining. All things aren't going to feel good, but that doesn't mean they aren't working together FOR good. In this life we have to go through things. That's how we learn and grow. Inviting Jesus into your life, and more specifically into each and every situation in your life, is the only way to GET THROUGH each and every situation in your life. It's ok to be on the struggle bus. It's ok to not have all of the answers. It's ok to be messy. Life is messy. The most important part of being on the struggle bus is letting Jesus take the wheel. Letting HIM turn your mess into a message. You don't have to keep driving down the same road, just because you've been on it for a long time. God allows and, I believe, encourages U-turns. It came to pass, not to stay. Where you are right now is not where you will be forever. Trusting in the Lord is what equips and empowers us to get through things, instead of getting wrecked by things. Taking the lessons from the losses, if I can say it that way. And I believe you learn much more from "failure" than from success. I put that word in quotes because you only truly fail when you fail to keep trying. Trying and "messing up" is good. Because at least you tried. And you can learn from what didn't work and try again. When you know better, you can do better. If you know it, you can throw it. You can share what you know. You can let what's inside you come out by knowing and believing that it's in there. Even in the midst of--ESPECIALLY in the midst of--trials and tribulations. You can be a thermostat instead of thermometer. You can SET the temperature instead of just TAKING it. So even when you're on the struggle bus... you can still give what you've got. You can still be of good cheer. And you can still love people!

Sometimes we ride the struggle bus. Sometimes we DRIVE the struggle bus. And when we do, I just want to say... that's ok. Life doesn't always go the way we want it to. Sometimes we have good days, and sometimes we have bad days. That's just part and parcel to life. The key is to, well, let Jesus take the wheel. Because He can get us to where we're supposed to go. Even if it takes a trip on the struggle bus to get there. Sometimes we have to go through things in order to get to the other side. And by going through it... we can learn and grow. We can mature. We can gain experience and then turn around and help others who are going through the same types of things. Look at John 16:33--it's a verse I quote a lot because it's a verse I cling to--Jesus speaking, "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." Jesus didn't say we wouldn't ever have any struggles. In fact, He said the exact opposite. He knew what the human condition was all about because He lived it. He wrapped Himself up in human flesh in order to be a high priest that knew--on an intimate, personal level--what His people were going through. He didn't sit up on a cloud, holding a lightning bolt, waiting for us to screw up so He could get us. That sounds more like Zeus than the God who is love. He came down to where we were. Right in the midst of our mess. Look at Genesis 46:4, "I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again..." See, we think we need to bring ourselves up to Him. The Tower of Babel, right? Make a name for ourselves. When in truth, God always comes down to us in order to bring us up. He meets us where we're at. Right there on the struggle bus. Because--I mentioned this the other day--when you need to be saved (in a here and now, present danger situation) all you have to do is call upon the Lord. Invite Him into the situation. And, by the way, I believe God protects us and saves us from a lot of things we don't even know about. Just because He is our heavenly Father and He loves us. I think that while we should cultivate an attitude of gratitude, a lifestyle of praying without ceasing, a connection with our heavenly Father where He is at the center of our lives... the center of everything that we do... I also think there's an almost special power in giving those things into His hands that we simply cannot handle. A surrender. Both of the situation, and our lives. Being able to say, "I can't do this..." and letting go and letting God. Sometimes you sow your own poision, or dig your own grave, in a manner of speaking. Sometimes your own choices lead you to places you don't want to go. Even--I'm telling you--even in those cases God will bail you out. He allows U-turns. And in fact I think He encourages them. So if you find yourself on the struggle bus... let Jesus take the wheel. Don't keep plowing ahead if you don't have to. Don't cling to a mistake just because it took a lot of time and effort to make. And understand that sometimes things happen. Outside of your control. You don't have to suffer, no matter what the tribulations are. You can be of good cheer. You can trust in God to carry you through. You can... and you should!

It's only in understanding that we can't do ANYTHING on our own that we figure out that we can do ALL THINGS through Christ. Because He strengthens us. Because His strength is made perfect in our weakness. Because if we're not doing... whatever it is that we're doing... in love, it is doomed to fail. Love never fails. Because love endures. Because love doesn't demand its (HIS) own way. So, in a very real sense, our weakness is our strength. Because when we can't... He will. When we stop trying to do everything ourselves... that's when we give God the room, and the opportunity, to do what He wants to do. And what He wants to do--the only thing He has ever wanted to do, or has ever done--is love people. What else could the God who is love do? Or want to do? I think it's so important that we see God as He truly is. So important that we see God as love. Because that changes everything. We can get rid of this mindset where we see God as an angry, distant taskmaster and we can see Him (clearly, truly) as our loving heavenly Father. As the One who literally moved heaven and earth in order to bring us back to Him... after WE spent so much time and effort running away from Him. God is not mad at you. He's mad about you. Crazy, head over heels in love with you. And no parent who loves their child wants to see them suffer. I have a rule with my son, "I want you to try your best. And then if you still need help, you know I've got your back." Because I do want him to be able to do things. I do want him to be able to function. At the same time, I want him to know that he's never alone. That he can always come to me. For anything. And, in some ways, our heavenly Father has an even better relationship. Because He doesn't want us to do ANYTHING on our own. He wants us to involved Him in EVERYTHING. Right from the start. Or, really, right from wherever we're at. I believe that if we include God right from the beginning we won't have to break glass in case of emergency... because we won't get to that point of emergency. I also believe that if we find ourselves in that place of emergency...we should break the glass! I like Romans 10:13 quite a bit, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Because, to me, it's a very present help in times of trouble verse, not necessarily a cosmic elevator verse. When you need to be saved--from whatever situation you find yourself in--call on the name of the Lord. Cast your cares on Him, knowing that He cares for you. Let your heavenly Father carry you through, instead of constantly falling and trying to pick yourself back up. When you are weak, you can be weak. You can ask for help. And when you ask God for help, you'll always get it. Maybe not in the exact way that you think you should, but certainly in the way that will benefit you the most. What you think doesn't compare to what God knows. He knows the end from the beginning. He knows what's best. He knows how to use His strength--in you, and through you, and as you. So lean on Him. Rely on Him. Trust in Him. God has your back. And He wants to be involved. He wants to be our strength. Our help. Our Rock. He wants to be our everything!

One of my mom's favorite jokes goes like this, "What do you get when you work your fingers to the bone? Bony fingers!" And I kind of took that in a slightly different direction and use the example of banging your head against the wall and getting nothing but a headache. That, I think, happens all too often when we feel weak. We try to overcompensate. We know we can't do something, so we go over the top to try to "fix" the scenario by doing something else entirely. But, guys, I'm here to tell you... that doesn't work. Sometimes--a lot of the time, most of the time, maybe even all of the time--we need to just be still. Communicate with God by LISTENING to what HE has to say. We can--and should--cast our cares on Him, beacause He cares for us. But there comes a point where you can't hear what God is saying if all you're ever doing is complaining. If you're always focused entirely on the problem, you might miss out on the solution. If you're constantly banging your head against the wall... chances are you're not going to break the wall. You're probably going to break your head. You'll get frustrated. Beaten down. And you'll want to quit. In other words, "Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life" (Proverbs 13:12). And, for the record, I want to say that the desire of our heart... is love. I don't believe the heart is interested in anything but love. How could it be? And that's really the central issue. Of life. Of everything. I believe we feel weak because we don't think we have what we need. In order to survive something, or in order to give something, or in order to be something. It's a place, or a feeling, of lack. Of not having enough, or not being enough. That's a hard place to be. A hopeless feeling. And the only thing--the ONLY thing--that can help us with that is NOT working harder. NOT banging our head against the wall. The only thing that will help us when we feel weak... is God's strength. And His strength... is His love. I say this a lot but I think it fits right here: God is all-powerful, right? Which means love is all-powerful. Because God is love. But all-powerful doesn't mean MOST powerful. It doesn't mean other things have power but love just barely wins the race. It means God--love--has, and is, ALL of the power! No weapon formed against us shall prosper. Nothing can drag us down when God--when love--is holding us up. His strength is made perfect in our weakness. That means when we feel like we have that lack, or when we feel like we are missing something... HE fills us up. And by "fills us up" I mean He has already filled us up. To overflowing. With everything we could ever need. The desire of our heart. It is a Tree of Life. It is the fruit of the Spirit. It is love. That's why we can do all things through God who has, and is, and will, strengthen us. That's why we can get through what we need to go through. And that's why we can be someone else's strength, even in our own weakness. Because when you give what you've got--the love of God--you are giving strength. You can't give what you don't have, and you can only give what you do have. So it's ok to not be able to do something. It's ok to need help. Because we have a heavenly Father who loves us, and is always ready, willing, and able to help us!

Feeling weak is one of the worst feelings there is. Feeling like you need to do something... but can't. That's hard, man. And that's when we need to hold on even tighter to the One who is holding on to us. Because His strength is made perfect in our weakness. His strength is what empowers us to get through whatever it is we're going through. I use this verse a lot because it's one of my favorites, 1 Samuel 30:6, "And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God." One of my absolute favorites. No matter what's coming against you--David's own people, in this case, that had chosen him as their leader... as soon as something went wrong they turned on him--you can always find a place of safety. When you look to the Lord, you find everything you need. And when you understand that He lives inside you... all you have to do is look inside yourself. Which is to say, you have what you need to be strong. Even--especially--when you're weak. You don't have to wreck yourself, if you first check yourself. If you let what's inside come out, by knowing and believing that it's in there. If you let love lead and guide you. Things won't always go your way. They won't always go the way you think they should. But that doesn't mean they aren't going the way they're supposed to. Another favorite: "But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive" (Genesis 50:20). Even when people are persecuting you, or are against you, even then you don't have to take it personally. Because it doesn't matter how man means it. It matters how God means it. God trumps man. Let God be true and every man a liar. When we look at the bigger picture, the grand scheme of things, and we begin to see things from God's point of view, that's when we can get through whatever we are going through. This isn't forever. It won't even be like this for long. It came to pass, not to stay. A lot of the time, when you feel weak, the best thing to do is to just endure. Longsuffering is a fruit of the Spirit. Which doesn't mean we should accept any old thing. Turning the other cheek is about not retaliating, not about standing and letting someone continue to slap you over and over. God doesn't want us to suffer. He wants us to survive. And, really, to thrive! Which is why HE is our strength. He carries us through when we can't walk anymore. He fills us up when we feel empty inside. He gives us everything we need. In truth, He gave us everything we needed 2,000 years ago on the cross. Everything we will ever need. To get us through the hard times. To help us when we are weak. Because 2,000 years ago, on the cross, He gave us HIMSELF. His Spirit. His Son. His nature. His love. His life. He gave us everything He has and everything He is. He gave us everything WE have and everything WE are. As He is, so are we in this world. So when we are feeling weak, we don't have to curl up and die, so to speak. We can stand. We can let God--let LOVE--hold us up. We CAN get through whatever we have to go through. We don't have to go through things alone. And even when we don't have anybody physically by our side... we can strengthen ourselves in the Lord. We can let what's inside--what we have already been filled with--fill us up to overflowing so that it comes out. Naturally. So that the love inside--the strength inside--can come out. God's strength is made perfect in our weakness because when we can't... He can. And will. When we can't... that's when we have that faith like a child and just let our Daddy take care of things for us. When we are weak... He is strong. And in His strength... WE are strong! You can get through what you're going through when you let God carry you through it!

There are times in your life when you will feel absolutely powerless. Times when you feel like you can't handle what life is throwing at you. Times when you feel like giving up. Times when you feel like you're at the end of your rope. Like you've given it everything you've got... and you've got nothing else left to give. But I'm here to say, when you feel like you're at the end of your rope... tie a knot in it and hold on! If you go down swinging... you might not go down at all. Look at 1 Corinthians 10:13, "There hath no tempation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." A couple key things here: "Temptation" is number 3985 in Strong's Greek Concordance and it means, "a putting to proof by experiment [of good], experience [of evil]." And Dictionary.com defines "Tempation" as "something that tempts." Which, I guess, makes sense. What we're looking at is kind of the forbidden fruit though, right? The idea that even though all things are lawful, that doesn't mean all things are expedient. We can do whatever we want, but that doesn't mean we should. And when we get into that situation where we feeling weak... that's when God makes that way to escape. Which is the send thing I wanted to really focus on. Because an escape doesn't always mean the situation just disappears. "That ye might be able to bear it." Sometimes we "escape" from things by bearing them. By understanding that it came to pass, not to stay. By understanding that a lot of the time, the only way through... is through. There's always a light at the end of the tunnel. And it's not always a freight train coming your way. I think, really, it's a matter of perspective. Because even in our definition of "tribulation" we see that there is an element of good. Experimenting in order to find some good. What we get out of situations a lot of the time is what we TAKE out of situations. Every cloud has a silver lining, right? We can learn and grow no matter what is going on around us. And, in fact, learning and growing is WHY we go through things a lot of the time. I think there are two reasons why we go through things: 1. To learn and grow. 2. To help others through those same types of things. Because we all go through the same stuff. Life. It's distinctly personal but also very universal. The human experience. And here's the best part: When you are feeling weak, when you are feeling powerless, you don't have to go through "it" alone. Whatever it is. There are people in your life who may have been through what you're going through. And they can help you through it. And if you can't find a person to do it, well, God Himself will strengthen you. His strength is made perfect in your weakness. He is faithful. He will not suffer you to be tempted beyond what you are able. He won't give you more than you can handle. You were made for a time like this. Put in position to unleash God into whatever situation you find yourself in. By letting what's inside come out. By knowing and believing that it (HE, love) is in there. Letting His strength--the strength of love--come out. In ever and any situation you find yourself, or the people you are connected to, in!

I always say, "Meekness is not weakness, it is strength under control." Which, to me, really helps a verse like "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5) make a lot of sense. It's not about just laying down and letting people walk all over you. I remember one time I told my mom she was a marshmellow. And my son immediately said, "I like marshmellows!" Sometimes you have to stand for something. All the time you should stand for love. Here's what I want to talk about for the next few days though: What is weakness? And what can we do about it? And the short answers are: Not being able to do something, and letting someone (God, specifically, but generally through people) help us. I think I have a few themes in my Rants and YouTube videos. One of which is that we are all in this together. No man is an island. It's not good that man should be alone. I can't do everything. And that's ok. Because I'm not supposed to. I'm not expected to--at least not by my heavenly Father. It's when we let the expectations of other people (and ourselves) pile up on us that we feel like the weight of the world is crushing us. God doesn't want us beat down. He doesn't want us to suffer through this life. I don't even believe He wants us to merely survive this life. I believe He wants us to thrive. I believe He wants us to enjoy this gift (of eternal life) that He has given us. Why else give someone a gift, right? You don't give someone a gift and then clap your hands together, twirl your mustache, and do an evil villain laugh because you think you've set them up for failure. You give someone a gift so that they can enjoy it. So that it can bring joy into their lives. And the biggest gift you can give someone... is yourself. Your three T's (Time, Talent, Treasure). The greatest love a man can have is to lay his life down for his friends. That's what this life is for. That's what this life is all about. Giving what you've got. That's what love is. But, again, I want to talk about what we're supposed to do when what we've got isn't enough. And I always cling to verses like Matthew 10:4 in the Message Bible, "If they don't welcome you, quietly withdraw. Don't make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and be on your way." I always say, "Once you've given something all you've got, it's either enough... or it's not." So to me, that's kind of the litmus test. Give it your all. And let that be enough. Because you literally can't give any more than that. Setting boundaries, and knowing when to say when, is so important. Because you CAN'T do it all yourself. Here's the silver lining though: "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most glady therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me" (2 Corinthians 12:9). When we're weak... He is strong. When we're weak... He has the opportunity to SHOW His strength. To us, and in us, and through us, and as us. So just as we shouldn't look at meekness as weakness... in a very real sense we shouldn't look at weakness as weakness. We should look at it as an opportunity to get help. To let other people shine THEIR light into our darkness. In our weakness, He is strong. And in His strength... WE are strong!

The best way to communicate with people is to love them. Look at Colossians 3:8, "But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth." None of those are helpful. None of those do anything except escalate a situation or make a situation worse. And I'm all about the "helping or hurting" litmus test. If it's not one, it's usually the other. If you're not helping, chances are you're hurting. So put all of that nonsense off. And put on the armor of God. I think--I truly believe to the bottom of my heart--that we give what we believe we have. If we've been hurt... we hurt people. Because that's what we have. That's what we, in a very real sense, understand. That's what we know. And what you know... you throw. What you have, is what you give. Because it's what you CAN give. You can't give what you don't have, and you can only give what you do have. So if all you have is people filling you up with corrupt communication... that's all you'll be able to give to anybody else. And that's why receiving and releasing the love of God is so important. He HAS given it to us. It's not something we need. It's something we have. So we can use what we have by knowing and believing that we have it. When you are letting the mind of Christ (that's already in you) BE in you... that's when you're thinking the thoughts of God. That's when you're in tune with the Divine flow of His love. Filling yourself to overflowing with what you've already been filled with. Letting what's inside come out. Showing people who God is by showing them what love is. That's the truest form of communication. Not the way we sometimes try to manipulate others in order to get what we want... but simply by knowing that we have what we need, and then giving others what THEY need. That's the part we have to really focus on. Receiving is great... but it's only step one. Releasing is where it's at. Even Jesus said it is more blessed to give than to receive. You have to do the one before you can do the other. Because you can't give what you don't have and you can only give what you do have. So you have to know what you have, and you have to believe that you have it. IN ORDER to give it. To share it. Love is giving. Our communcation--speaking, listening, and actions--is love. Speak love. Listen in (and with) love. Act in (and with) love. Charity is love in action. And charity is the only thing that will really make any sort of positive difference in this world. Not the idea of love... but the act of love. Where the rubber meets the road. Actually giving what you know you have. That's how you help instead of hurt. So put off all those "bad" things. Even if you think you've been filled up with them. Let it go. Let go and let God. And fill yourself up with what HE has filled you up with. All the good things of God!