How many can attest to having days where nothing seemed to go your way? Sometimes those days become weeks, and before you know it, you are on a bad losing streak with life. Life has the high ground and is laughing at your despair, waiting for you to give up. You yourself are at a point where it seems a lot easier to stay on the ground. You’re tired. What’s the harm in keeping your head down?
It’s safe to say that everyone has those losing streaks in life. It seems that whenever we are in that season, we can’t catch a break. We may even yell into the sky, demanding God to stop the madness. It’s human nature. We aren’t built to enjoy this season, but we are built for it. “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” they say; yet it is a painful process to come out on the other side, isn’t it? It makes us weary, but it’s the breakdown that needs to take place for you to build yourself back up. Kind of like a drill sergeant in boot camp for the military: they break you down, but their purpose is to build you back up into the embodiment of what they think you should represent. This embodiment helps service members to take what they learned from the “beatdown,” and apply those values in order to have a successful career.
Perhaps sometimes that is the purpose of the beatdowns we get from life. It’s God’s way of preparing us for something else in the future. No, we aren’t going to enjoy the process, nor will I be the guy to say, “it’ll build character;” however, be mindful. Be aware that if you are in a season of winning, it doesn’t last forever. Enjoy it, because the day will come when life takes a shot at you, bringing you to your knees. There’s no telling how long that season will last, but the question remains: are you willing to heed the lessons God is trying to get across? If we humble ourselves, we’ll be out of the pit sooner rather than later. Perhaps that’s what determines how long and often we keep getting knocked down. God does resist the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
Author’s Note: Beginning of July, there will be a short pause on the newsletters. Will resume publication in August.