Endurance part 2
When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Those are the kind of phrases I like. Because life is hard. It is. Life happens every single day. The hardest part of life... is living. Enduring. Making sure to take care of business. Look at James 5:11, "Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy." That's it, man. That's the key. The patience of Job. Job had just about anything that could be thrown at him thrown at him. Like above and beyond. More than any one person should have to try to handle. And I'm not going to get into the whole Satan asking God permission thing. That's not for today. Think whatever you want about that. My point is that Job went through a lot. And he did it patiently. Well, for the most part. He did get a little snappy with his friends. But that'll happen. Especially when they try to "help" by telling you that if this kind of stuff is happening, well, you must had done something to upset the big guy upstairs. Nonsense like that. God doesn't make us sick in order to... whatever. Sickness is not from God. Punishment is not from God. All good and perfect gifts come down from the Father of lights. He is light and there is no darkness in Him at all. So when it's dark out, it's not because God wants it to be dark out. Jesus said in this world we WILL have tribulation. That's a fact, Jack. That's just life. But Jesus also said "Be of good cheer." Life's tough, get a helmet, in other words. Let the love of God shield you so that you can make it through what you need to make it through. Love never fails. Because love endures. We count them happy which endure. Getting through something will really fill up your pride meter, if I can say it that way. And I'm not talking about the kind of pride that goeth before a fall. I'm talking about pride in a job well done. Pride in accomplishing something. And I think the best way to experience that is to express it. By helping others through the same things we've been through. If you've been there, done that, got the t-shirt... that's when you can help someone else be there, do that, and get the t-shirt. Once you've endured something, you're in a unique position to help someone else endure it. And that's when things get kind of exciting. Because things work out better when we work together. If someone is standing with you, that's when you KNOW (with a knowledge that passes knowledge) that you'll be ok. I think being lonely is one of the worst feelings in the world. I don't think there's much in this life that is more hopeless than feeling like you're alone. The truth, of course, is that we're not alone. Because even if we're by ourselves, God lives in us. Jesus. God in the flesh. Love in a body. God in OUR flesh. Love in OUR body. LOVE lives in us. So we always have what we need. Like David we can strengthen ourselves in the Lord. And then we can use that strength to help each other. To connect with each other. To live with each other. To LOVE each other. Build that bond and strengthen it. So that it cannot be broken. So that it--and we--can endure!