Keep GoingEsimerkki

Unqualified. Empty-handed. Lacking resources. Faced with insurmountable circumstances. We’ve all been there. And, we’ll be there again. Like the widow, life doesn’t take a backseat when we face hardships of any kind. As a follower of Jesus, we are promised adversity. Not only as individuals but as the Body of Christ. We will face resistance from various trials. And, we will wrestle against the spiritual forces that preside over darkness and evil. From the looks of it, we’ve already been defeated. But, what Christ did on the cross for us makes a literal difference. Even still, we waver when things get hard, don’t we? We might not look like we’re giving up. But, we procrastinate. We doubt. We delay action. We make excuses. We do anything and everything but persist. We live stagnant and lukewarm. We get distracted. Yet, it’s Christ’s sacrifice that allows us to become a vessel for God’s power. His strength fuels our courage . Jesus isn’t the reason for our problems. He is the reason we can overcome them. Resistance is a reminder that persistence is required. Our endurance isn’t a result of false bravado, but vision. When we fix our gaze on God’s promises, we won’t be overcome by lies or discouragement. Instead, we’re invited to look beyond what we can see. With faith, we come to understand that opposition can no longer obstruct us from God’s help. It doesn’t matter what comes our way. When our gaze is on Him, all of our momentary afflictions fall away. CONSIDER THIS — I used to own a shirt that screamed in all capital letters, “THE PRIDE LASTS LONGER THAN THE PAIN.” It wasn’t until I had long donated it that I realized that I vehemently disagreed. Suffering tends to demolish our pride. Conflict has a way of making us feel small. Rejection attempts to diminish us. Silence begs us to question ourselves. It’s not our ego that needs strengthening. It’s our purpose. It’s the glory of God that lasts longer than anything we may walkthrough. It’s for His kingdom that we bravely face the odds. It’s for Him and because of Him that we’re able to keep going.