GROWING UP, I PLAYED SOCCER. IT WAS MY THING.
AND MY DREAM WAS TO PLAY FOR MY HIGH SCHOOL.
I WANTED TO FEEL THE PRE-GAME NERVES IN THE LOCKER ROOM,
HEAR MY NAME ANNOUNCED OVER THE STADIUM LOUDSPEAKER,
AND PLAY IN FRONT OF MY FRIENDS,
BUT REALLY JUST THE GIRLS I WANTED TO SHOW OFF TO.
JUST KIDDING.
BUT I FIRST HAD TO GET THROUGH TRYOUTS.
AND LONG STORY SHORT, MY FRESHMAN YEAR
I GOT CUT FROM THE TEAM.
I'LL NEVER FORGET THE SCENE. IT WAS RAINING,
AND WE WERE ALL HUDDLED UP MIDFIELD
AFTER RUNNING SOME FINAL DRILLS,
AND THE VARSITY COACH READ THE NAMES
OF THOSE WHO MADE THE TEAM.
AND I DIDN'T HEAR MY NAME. IT WAS BRUTAL!
I KNOW! I WAS DEVASTATED, EMBARRASSED,
DIDN'T WANT TO SHOW MY FACE AT SCHOOL THE NEXT DAY
OR EVEN TO MY FAMILY THAT NIGHT.
I CAN STILL, RIGHT NOW, FEEL THE EMOTIONS I FELT,
AND I VIVIDLY REMEMBER THAT LONG WALK BACK
TO THE FRONT OF THE SCHOOL WHERE MY MOM
WOULD PICK ME UP TO TAKE ME HOME.
AND ALTHOUGH I WAS ONLY 14 YEARS OLD AT THE TIME,
GOD WAS TEACHING ME SOMETHING THAT I STILL HOLD ONTO
TO THIS VERY DAY: IF I'M GOING TO FOLLOW JESUS COURAGEOUSLY,
I HAVE TO ASK THE SPIRIT OF GOD TO CULTIVATE IN ME
A RESILIENCE AND A SPIRITUAL GRIT
TO KEEP THE FAITH WHEN LIFE GETS HARD.
IT'S EASY WHEN LIFE IS "UP AND TO THE RIGHT."
BUT YOU KNOW JUST AS WELL AS I DO,
THAT'S JUST NOT THE CASE.
IN 2 CORINTHIANS, THE APOSTLE PAUL
TALKS ABOUT A THORN IN HIS FLESH THAT HE WAS GIVEN,
THAT TORMENTED HIM AND EVEN THOUGH HE PLEADED WITH GOD
THREE TIMES TO TAKE IT AWAY, GOD DIDN'T.
NOW, NO ONE REALLY KNOWS WHAT THE THORN WAS,
BUT MOST LIKELY SOME KIND OF PHYSICAL AFFLICTION
THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A HINDRANCE TO PAUL'S MINISTRY
AND TO WHAT GOD WAS CALLING HIM TO DO.
BUT THEN PAUL TELLS US WHAT JESUS SAID TO HIM,
"MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR YOU,
"FOR MY POWER IS MADE PERFECT IN WEAKNESS."
PAUL'S RESPONSE? THIS IS SO POWERFUL.
"THEREFORE, I WILL BOAST GLADLY ABOUT MY WEAKNESS...
"I DELIGHT IN WEAKNESS, IN INSULTS, IN HARDSHIPS,
"IN PERSECUTIONS, IN DIFFICULTY.
"FOR WHEN I AM WEAK, THEN I AM STRONG."
RATHER THAN TAKING THE ADVERSITY AWAY,
GOD GAVE PAUL THE GRACE TO GET THROUGH IT.
THINGS LIKE INSULTS, HARDSHIPS, PERSECUTION, DIFFICULTY
PAUL LEARNED TO WELCOME AND PERSEVERE THROUGH,
BECAUSE THROUGH THEM CHRIST'S POWER WAS EVIDENT IN HIS LIFE.
HERE'S A HARD TRUTH I'VE LEARNED:
JESUS'S DIVINE POWER IS MOST CLEARLY DISPLAYED IN MY LIFE
ON THE BACKDROP OF MY WEAKNESS AND SHORTCOMINGS.
WHEN I AM WEAK, THEN JESUS, BY HIS STRENGTH,
CAN MAKE ME SPIRITUALLY STRONG AND RESILIENT.
AND I DON'T LIKE THIS BECAUSE I DON'T LIKE TO FEEL WEAK!
BUT I'VE LEARNED MY LIMITATIONS SAY MORE
ABOUT THE BIGNESS OF MY GOD
THAN THEY SAY ANYTHING ABOUT ME,
AND I'VE LEARNED TO FIND COMFORT IN THAT REALITY.
I'M MORE CONFIDENT THAN EVER THAT WHILE GOD WORKS THROUGH ME,
HE IS ALSO WORKING ON ME.
ULTIMATELY, PERSEVERANCE MATURES US AND GROWS US.
AND THE SPIRIT GOD GAVE US
WILL EMPOWER US TO PERSEVERE NOW MATTER WHAT WE FACE.
SO WHAT'S THE ADVERSITY YOU'RE FACING TODAY?
MAYBE YOU'RE A SINGLE MOM
AND YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE YOU CAN DO IT ANYMORE.
MAYBE YOU'RE BEING TREATED UNFAIRLY AT WORK
FOR NO APPARENT REASON, OR MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE OF YOUR FAITH.
MAYBE YOU'RE FAILING
AND ARE BEGINNING TO FEEL LIKE A FAILURE.
CAN I JUST ENCOURAGE YOU? BRING GOD IN.
ASK HIM FOR THE GRACE TO PERSEVERE,
AND BE CONFIDENT THAT YOUR PERSEVERANCE
IS DOING A WORK OF GOD ON YOUR HEART AND IN YOUR FAITH.
BECAUSE WHEN GOD IS INVOLVED, THE STRIVING IS NEVER IN VAIN.