2 Corinthians 4:8-9 8/28/2018*

“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”

Life is not always easy…it’s not supposed to be.

Paul is describing Christians who have endurance and tenacity. People who confidently walk through life no matter how difficult it gets.

As a society we have lost the maturity described in these verses.  Our acceptance of a victim’s mentality, and self-centeredness has become crippling.

Maybe it is because as children we always got a trophy, we were never allowed to face disappointment …but today, more and more, we see grown men and women go completely off the rails at the slightest hint that they may not get their way.

It is embarrassing and dangerous, and as a society we need to grow up.

Life is not fair.  But you don’t have to be frail.

Walking with Jesus makes you more than a conqueror…. you can take the pressure without being crushed. You can be confused without being depressed.  You can be attacked without being devastated.

Even if you don’t get your way, you can calmly stand your ground because God is still God, and He loves you completely.

One identifying mark of a Christian should be a confidence that springs from the awareness of who you are, and whose you are…

You should have an assurance that is confusing to unbelievers. If you do, it will impact them more than any sermon. If you show maturity and stability, it will be so different from the norm that people will run to you like moths to a flame.

Life can be hard.  Once you have faced that reality without flinching, when you have shown that you can walk through the storm with composure …. only then will you be qualified to help others walk victoriously as well.

“Faith is deliberate confidence in the character of God whose ways you may not understand at the time.”
- Oswald Chambers