Endurance part 4
12/21/2019 20:54Life is 10% what happens to you, and 90% how you deal with it. I've been saying this a lot. Because it's important. It's like when Jesus asked Peter (who had just been walking on water) "What's gotten into you?" See, the problem isn't what we get into as much as it is what gets into us. God has given us a way to escape, or end, the things we have to go through. That's why I say go THROUGH. It came to pass, not to stay. Right now is right now, but it's not forever. That means if we're in a period of enjoyment we ought to enjoy it. If we're in a period of struggle... we don't have to give up. All things are working together for good. I heard it like this one time, "The problem is not the problem. Your attitude about the problem is the problem." We let things get into us. We let things wreck us. We make mountains out of molehills. We give power to things that have no power, and have no business having any power. We get so mixed up and so twisted around that we can't even see what's really important. Running FROM God instead of running TO God. Thinking that our heavenly Father, who loves us so much that He literally died for us, is out to get us. Guys. On the cross, God got us. In the best possible way. He took up abode in us. He dwells in us, and that means we dwell in Him. Love dwells in us. And that means we dwell in love. It's all about love. Love is what makes it possible for that 90%--our attitude--to keep us in the game, if I can say it that way. Our attitude is what allows us to endure. Or not. And it's an attitude of gratitude that keeps us from falling. Being grateful and thankful for what we have instead of whining and crying about what we (think we) don't have. If you're always chasing the carrot but only ever getting the stick... man, that's frustrating. That's the kind of thing that makes you want to stop enduring and just give up. We need victories in our lives. Even small ones. Especially small ones. We need to be able to see that what we are doing matters. Validation. And, listen, I'm saying we should do what we do for the applause. I'm simply saying it's a hopeless feeling when you're trying hard and you don't see any positive result. It can feel like you're pouring yourself into a black hole. Everything and everybody just taking and taking and taking until you don't have anything left. Notice I said it can FEEL like that. Because it's not really like that. In reality we are connected to the unlimited source of love. The more love we give away, the more love we have. And that's how we experience it--by giving it away. By sharing it. By laying our lives down for our friends. By giving everything we have and everything we are without worrying about how it is received. If you do your part, you can hold your head up high. Because all you can do is all you can do. Do your best and forget the rest. Endurance isn't about things always being how you want them to be. Endurance is about loving people no matter how things are. Living and loving (which are the same thing) all the time. Every day. In every way. Life happens. Every single day. there's no stopping it. But you don't have to fight it either. You can enjoy the ride. You can let God love you and love Him back by loving people. You can stand strong on the Rock of love and you can endure!