Sorry for the long absence. This is an important topic that we have come to, I hope you have an opinion.
The lesson is from what is accepted as one of the oldest writings of Scripture, the Book of Job. What we learn from Job is simply this: It is worth it to keep the Faith, to persevere in the face of trials and adversity and to maintain our trust in God.
It is often overlooked, but another of the lessons from Job is to have good friends. These men, while their counsel may not have been the best, came and for one whole week sat silently and participated in Job's suffering. We need friends like that and we need to BE friends like that. It is not always about fixing the problems for someone, it should be about sharing the load.
The main lesson, as Stu points out, is Job's "staying power."
"Hanging in there."
"Don't give up."
"Endurance to the end."
These are all phrases we use to convey the central thought. Man up, Stay where you belong, even when it is difficult. Maybe it should be especially when it is difficult.
I am confessing here, in the past couple of weeks it would have been very easy for me to let this book study and this discussion forum die. The participation I had hoped for has not yet materialized. I know that it is because some are busier doing family and leading or participating in studies of their own and don't have time to sit at the computer. For some, this is maybe a little too open to share their ideas and feelings. That's okay. I have also come to realize that this particular book has not impacted everyone the same way it did me. That's okay too.
Men, it is not about me, this book or any other thing. What is important is this: Are we staying, developing the mentality of Job, "Yea, though He slay me, I will still serve Him."
We are not about to be slain physically. Where we are struggling the most it seems is this, "Why am I doing what I'm doing and how much longer am I going to stay with it?"
I can only answer the "Why" for myself. Only you can answer that question for yourself.
As for the "How long?"
For me, it is until He returns.
As a group, we will be much stronger, much more effective and much happier than if we try to go it alone. We are not alone, in our desire to serve the Body, in our struggles with discouragement, in any other way. We have each other, we need to reach out to catch the falling brother. We need to share the load, we need to feel like we can ask our brother to help when we feel alone.
More later about staying power.
With Love in Christ,
Garry
Monday, April 13, 2009
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I agree with the concept of staying power, but what about the man who at some point in his life took the easy way out (divorce, went back on his word, bailed on kids, gave up on commitment, etc.)? How does one get past that and become the man he ought to / wants to be?
ReplyDeleteThat is a good question.
ReplyDeleteI think we can find the answer in Jesus' interaction with people He healed or forgave (the man who was paralized, the woman caught in adultery), what He said on some of those occasions is this, "Go and sin no more."
We can get trapped trying to undo what has been done in the past. We need to learn from our errors and try to repair the failure, we can't undo it.
If we fail today, recognize it tomorrow, confess and repent, we are forgiven. We don't get "do overs" as much as we want and need them sometimes.
God takes us where we are today. He doesn't expect us to "get better" so that He can use us. We can't get good enough for that by ourselves.
Often times, we are not able to believe that God is able to forgive us because we have done something so awful that we are not worth forgiving. That is not what God says.
A single failure or a series of bad choices don't necessarily prevent us from becoming that man with staying power.
We need to accept what Jesus is capable of giving us.
God will take what we are, where we are, and if we yeild to Him, make us what He wants us to become.
It is a lifestyle of continuous improvement with God doing the work in us.