There comes a point in all of our lives when we hit obstacles.  We go through pain or loss.  We lose finances, jobs, people.  The difficulties come and we are faced with the challenge of continuing on vs. giving up or giving in.  It would be so easy to just give in to depression or the woe-is-me’s, but life isn’t always about the easy way out.

I was reminded of this a few days ago as I watched a movie called The Kingdom.   (Disclaimer: The movie has a lot of language and blood, so if those are deterrents for you, don’t watch it.)  The movie follows a group of FBI agents who are investigating a bombing in the Middle East in which there was major loss of life including a friend of theirs.  As they are desperately trying to gain access to the country there is a scene between the Attorney General and the FBI Director.  The AG is dragging his feet and not allowing them to go investigate and the Director is fighting for access and the Director puts it into perspective.

You know, Westmoreland made all of us officers write our own obituaries during Tet, when we thought The Cong were gonna end it all right there. And, once we clued into the fact that life is finite, the thought of losing it didn’t scare us anymore. The end comes no matter what, the only thing that matters is how do you wanna go out, on your feet or on your knees? I bring that lesson to this job. I act, knowing that someday this job will end, no matter what. You should do the same.

FBI Director, The Kingdom

My life has had it’s share of hard times.  I was too small for sports.  I didn’t make the team.  I didn’t pass the test.  I got in trouble at work.  I lost my job.  Our finances aren’t great.  I couldn’t find the home I believed was there for us.  A family member died.  Just to name a few.  Thankfully I have had parents that taught me to fight through these things.  But I wonder how many times in my life I have given up when I came to an obstacle.  How many times have  I gone out on my knees instead of standing up and fighting for something?

Next time I am faced with something major I want to go through it on my feet.  I know that with God I have the strength to do it.  Philippians 4:13 says so.  Or Psalm 91.  Or Psalm 18.  Or Isaiah 40:31.  John 14:27.  And on and on and on…

So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn’t hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn’t gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God’s chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture:

They kill us in cold blood because they hate you. 
We’re sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one. None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow,

high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.

Romans 8:31-39

Sometimes we just need this reminder.  Life gets hard.  It gets painful.  You seem surrounded by enemies trying to hunt you down.  BUT it is in those times that God shows up and shows us His power again.  He shows us His love.  His grace.  His truth.  I love that.  None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us.  I’m absolutely convinced that NOTHING can get between us and God’s love.

Bad attitudes are very easy to get and often very difficult to change.  If you aren’t careful a tough situation can easily help your attitude change to fit it.  It could be a rough workplace, a neighbor who gets on your nerves, dysfunctional family, a speeding ticket, the DMV, a cancelled flight or so many other things.  So many times we want to sit in the corner by ourselves and just pout, but regardless of what the situation is there is a decision to be made.  Will I have a positive attitude about _____, or will I allow the crappiness of the situation to make my attitude crappy, too? Many times this decision isn’t an easy one.  It is much easier to let the crappy situation affect you negatively.

It doesn’t help that the world around you even expects you to have a bad attitude when bad things happen.  When you go to pay a ticket, the people at the counter seem to expect you to hate them.  When your work environment is rough for you, your friends may not see anything wrong with having a negative attitude toward it all.  When your family is nuts they expect to fight.  But as Christ followers we know better.  Job had a pretty rough life for a long time, but he didn’t let his circumstances get the best of him and stay positive trusting God the whole time.  Paul was beat, imprisoned, hated, shipwrecked and more and he kept his attitude pointing toward God.  Noah had to build an ark in a place it had never rained before.  Moses hiked through a desert for 40 years.  Abraham lived next to Sin City.  Jesus was headed for the cross!

Our lives are filled with opportunities to prove the world right and cut someone off because they cut you off first.  We should be mean to the DMV worker because we had to wait in line for forever, right?  We should desperately work to make the decision to stay positive.  This doesn’t mean that we can’t pray and ask God to change our situation or work things out.  By all means pray on!  Jesus did!  But while you are praying about your rough spot, keep your head up and focus on what you can learn from your current place.

Unfortunately life isn’t always easy and perfect as we all know.  These time are when we are presented with the best opportunities.  Think of the platform that you will have to share Christ with the world around you when you build it up with a good attitude about your hard times!  Why would your neighbor want to live like you in your walk with Christ if all you do is complain?  But if you have a peace that doesn’t make sense, that is something totally different!

Keep your head up.
Be patient.
Pray for strength!
Learn to learn!

What is the Lord trying to teach you while you are here?