Wednesday, April 20, 2016

 

When I was watching the Masters Golf tournament a week ago or so, they were interviewing Tom Watson, one of the older golfers at age 57. In fact, he was retiring from the Masters after this one, because as he said, “It plays too long.” He can’t hit the ball as far as he once was able to do. The young bucks are out-driving him by considerable yardage. Thus, it plays too long.

 

Have you ever been in a situation in which the circumstances played too long? You may have felt that you didn’t have the stamina, the energy, the durability, or the strength to carry on. You may have thought about giving up or quitting. You may have resigned yourself to the inevitable. Perhaps, you regarded any real, meaningful change as next to impossible. You can’t do this. Life played too long. You don’t have the drive you used to.

 

I don’t think we would get a lot of sympathy from Paul, although even he admitted he was once so down that he feared for his life. But for the most part, Paul toughed out the worst of it. “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the death of Jesus, so that life may be visible in our bodies, “(2 Corinthians 4: 8-10).

 

This capacity to endure was more than keeping a stiff-upper-lip or being stoical or becoming a martyr or resignation as a passive and submissive sufferer. Paul believed in a power that help him to stand tall and face the nasty parts of living, especially in being a witness to Jesus Christ. Being a follower of Jesus didn’t absolve him from pain, suffering, hardship or life’s challenges. But his faith equipped him and sustained him and fed him during those times.

 

It has always been challenging to read these words: “So if you are standing, watch out that you do not fall. No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with testing he also will provide a way out so that you may be able to endure it,” (1 Cor. 10:12 – 13).

 

So when life plays too long, our faith enables us to stand where Christ once stood, facing the worst of horrible way to die. He cried out, yes; but he also grabbed the hand of God in his darkest times, and God pulled him through.

 

‘So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?” (Hebrews 13: 6).