There are days...

My faults are many. My failures are great. But with each fault and with each failure, I choose to rise. I choose to rise above mistakes and ridicule. I choose to rise above criticism. I choose to rise above adversity. I choose to rise above those that would exploit mistakes. I choose to stay when everything in me says run. I choose to stand in battle until the bell sounds or the whistle blows and when the smoke clears, keep standing. I choose to have the determination that if my God would allow His Son to die for my sins that I will not embarrass the calling or the blood by being a hypocrite. You see, I believe that this Jesus-thing is real and I will stand before my God some day. But because of the blood of Jesus, I will stand without regret. I will stand with humble confidence that the blood was not wasted on me. The day will not be wasted on me.
Are there days where I don’t want to stand? Of course. Are there days where I just want a normal life? Yep! Are there days when I’ve taken all of the body blows I think that I can take; the news that someone that was supposed to be faithful is stabbing you in the back and they don’t even know that you know; another family to tell of the death of a loved one; the constant reminders that the hurt is real and it isn’t slowing; another phone call of a marriage in crisis; feeling incapable of winning; laying on the canvas, listening to the referee count to 10 and simply not wanting to get up again; are there days like that? Too many to number…
But then there is this:
1 Corinthians 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.

And this:
2 Corinthians 12:9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

3 words that allow me to get up before the referee gets to ten. 3 words that scream at me when I’m lying on the canvas, tired, beat up, prepared to finally stay down, go away and be done with it all. 3 words that don’t seem to fit together but God has put them together and now you can finally rise up and be who he created you to be. 3 words that are speaking to me:

Grace – Work – Sufficient

Grace makes me worthy. Work makes me grateful. Sufficient says, “God is enough.”
So, what will wake you up tomorrow with a tenacity to not only take the day but win the day for Jesus? What is keeping you going when you have taken the hit of a sick child, an ungrateful associate, another tragic news day? What will be your mantra, your mission?

Grace – Work – Sufficient

And now I can make it just one more day!

Have a great week,
      Pastor Dad

 And if the 3 words don't work, there's always this.

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