In difficult times....Galatians 6:9

The last three columns I have wrote about life in difficult times. I could guess and say that most folks don’t want to talk about difficult times. We had all rather focus on positive things, happy times, and not the trying moments of life. Difficult times get the “bad rap” and the assumption is that nothing good can come from difficult events, or difficult situations. Most people accept as fact that peer pressure is bad. I don’t believe that to be true but nevertheless many would agree with that statement that peer pressure is bad without ever considering that peer pressure can be positive too.
For example, inviting someone to church is pressure and calling to ask someone to join you in attending a women’s conference or a men’s meeting is peer pressure, but its positive pressure. We think of peer pressure as negative and most examples would be asking someone to drink alcoholic beverages, taking drugs or jus staying out a “partying” all night long. It is generally accepted as fact that if you are out late at night it cannot be good. You are up to mischief, or simply said, “no good”. While this could be true, the opposite could also be true, but this is not the considered possibility.
Changing our thoughts and positions is not easy, but giving way to possibilities is important and being willing to look at things in new views is also a key to being able to press forward through difficult times. The scripture says that “all things are possible through Jesus Christ”, and I believe acceptance of that position give us a chance to change things. I’ve mentioned change and that’s a bad word in most churches not to mention the other bad language, looking at things differently. A famous quote from Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is: “If you do what you’ve always done, you will get what you’ve always gotten”. When it comes to truth in statements, I don’t know how you can spread more truth or honestly in a single statement. Yes, we want things to change, but we are not willing to do anything to help that change happen. We all want to see the best occur in our lives, but we don’t believe this can happen unless it happens the way we want things to happen. Talk about being narrow minded, hard to be more set in a negative way then this huh?
Writing this column, addressing this issue of difficult times is not easy. I feel qualified to address this subject matter because of the experiences I have in life. I believe I make life look because I smile and I am not someone that generally complains. I must share that life is good because I have hope and faith, and this causes me to be able to smile and not complain. Have I experienced difficult times, absolutely. Have I had crushing moments and situations, yes totally. Do I believe I have always been treated fairly? No, and forgiving is not the easiest Christian trait to practice. I can say that forgiving will set you free and that freedom allows you to stand back up after being knocked down.
Difficult times will eventually make it to your door steps. Difficult times will arrive via the mail or through a phone call. Prepare today for challenging moments that will stretch and pull your emotions, and beliefs. When you wonder what the best answer will be I can make a suggestion that has proven true for me. In difficult times Galatians 6:9 works for me. “Don’t grow weary in doing good, for in due season you will reap if you faint not”.

Until then

In difficult times....go back

In difficult times there are many considerations that must be made. Making decisions and choosing directions can become complicated without a base to measure all things against. Witnessing the choices of individuals is not always easy. Every choice has a reaction by others and all our decisions have consequences. Sometimes people believe that their life is theirs to live and they do so without respect to anyone around them. Others live their lives with high regards as to what others think and believe, yet they still find themselves held in low regards and respect by others.
Finding the base in which one can measure their decisions from is not easy with all the options available today. We can use our friends, or we can value theories and philosophies for just a few of our available options. The problem I have discovered in my search for that foundation to use for measuring decisions against is the failure in those choices to even pan out. That failure causes you to stop believing and it creates an atmosphere that leads you to believe the negative side of life is final and the only choice is to just survive and accept things as they are.
If you have discovered yourself in this condition of accepting things without hope for a change that would bring about your dreams and hopes, then please continue to read…there is a safe base. Most people who consider themselves to be on the downside of life and her experiences don’t like to talk about spiritual things because they already feel let down. Often they believe Jesus was going to fix everything that was wrong in their life, or that Jesus was going to deliver them from some experience they dreaded and they have never forgiven Him for that happening. Most people who consider themselves to be on the upside of life, with all her many pleasures consider they actually are a benefit to Jesus because of who they are, and in so doing they miss totally the only base we can truly trust.
Ministry has been a blessing for me. It’s the daily opportunity to share my experiences and to help others who are attempting to discover that base from which we can spring board our lives forward. The greatest thing I discovered in my base line of faith is that Jesus Christ provides me with options of restoration, grace and mercy. This I have not discovered in my other options I once thought to be the savior—if you will. The difficult times we have in life is that we are automatically going to make errors and wrong decisions that will have consequences and reactions that we would wish to avoid. That is life, but there is an answer and it can only be found in the only sure base from which we can positively evaluate our lives from.
In difficult times…the answer is Jesus Christ. When you have lost all faith and hope you must revisit the base that you believed once worked. The great news is that the spot where you last remembered His presence, He remains there still. Your journey is simple. Just go back to that spot and you will again discover the base you need is still working.

Until then