Suck it up

In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.  John 16:33 (NIV)

I've told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I've conquered the world.  John 16:33 (MSG)

Anyone remember this verse from the bible?  It's funny.  People seem to remember all the GOOD verses like, "I've come that you might have life and have it more abundantly.", "if He gave us His own son would He not freely give us all other things", "ask and you shall receive..." and "God has plans to prosper me, give me a hope and a future" (yes I'm paraphrasing but you get the general idea) but we don't tend to think about verses like John 16:33.  We don't like to think about the things we see as negative.  The things that tell us that there will be hard times, or that things might not go exactly like we want, but His plans are the best.  We just want things to be the way we want them, when we want them and how we want them.  Oh and we don't ever want to be frustrated, upset, unhappy, inconvenienced, sad, depressed, rejected, troubled, etc.  Give me a break.  It's time to GROW UP PEOPLE!

Jesus said...IN THIS WORLD YOU WILL HAVE TROUBLE or as the message says, you will EXPERIENCE DIFFICULTIES but He didn't leave it there.  He didn't say, so you're screwed or you just have to endure it and hope that one day it will work out alright.  He said, "TAKE HEART!  I have OVERCOME (conquered) the world!"

What does that mean to you?  Because this is what it means to me.  It means that as I am living out my every day life I'm gonna face some crap.  People are going to irritate me, things are not going to happen when I want them to, I'm probably going to come up against some opposition at some point in time.  Someone is probably going to hurt me, whether it be my feelings or physically, whether it be an accident or on purpose.  I'm probably going to tick someone off or get ticked of by someone.  In short, I'm going to experience LIFE, just like everybody else.  But what makes me different, what sets me apart is how I HANDLE those things that come against me.  How I navigate through the tough times, through the hard times, through the frustrating times and through the sad times.

I've had my moments of heartache.  I've experienced rejection.  I've walked through times of everyone close to me telling me I was an idiot for the choices I was making.  I've had to choose to do what God said to do over what I wanted to do.  I've had to follow my heart when my mind was screaming NO!  We're all going to have different experiences, experience all kinds of emotions and face a variety of circumstances, it shouldn't surprise us when we do.  And we've got to STOP being infants, toddlers, pansies, immature children and GROW UP!  You aren't going through anything that some one else hasn't already faced.  You aren't facing something that is so horrible and so wretched that you can't come back from it.  You aren't facing something that is so horrible and so wretched that you can't come back from it.  You know why?  Because of Jesus.  Because of what He provided for us by freely  giving His life.

So you're upset?  Frustrated?  Ticked off?  Depressed?  Sick?  Grow up.  So are a million and one other people.  What are you going to do about it?  Are you going to let your feelings and emotions and past experience rule you?  Or are you going to get out the BIBLE (which is straight up truth) and start latching on to what God says about you, your situation, your relationship, your condition, your dreams?  Maybe you are so frustrated about something because YOU are the one that is supposed to pick it up and start it, change it, make it happen.  Maybe you've been sitting around, complaining, waiting for someone else to change it and YOU are the one that is supposed to change it.  You want your quality of life to be better?  You better start doing something about it then.  It's your responsibility.  No one else's.  You want your dreams to come true?  You better start making steps toward them then.  Start talking to God, ask Him what steps He wants you to take.  Start speaking His Word over your situation and watch it change.  I dare you.

Stop whining and complaining about what is NOT happening around you, for you, to you, through you and start telling God how much you love Him.  Start reaching out to other people and leading them to Jesus.  Maybe you aren't hearing or receiving because what God is trying to tell you is that what you want is not for right now.  Maybe you aren't ready for it.  Or maybe it's not what He wants for you at all.  He has something better.  You better be willing to hear it.  You better be willing to receive it.  Or you are going to stay right where you are at.  It's not God.  It's you.  Suck it up.  Get over it.  Move on.  Move UP!  Speak His Word.  Let His TRUTH be the reality in your life.  NOT your emotions/feelings/experiences or circumstances.

God's got things for us to accomplish people.  Stop caring only about yourself and how things concern you and start asking God to show you people who need Him.  And then lead them to Him.

Just sayin'.