Persevering When Life Hurts

Persevering When Life Hurts 

by David Brenneman 

Oh wow. What a topic to write about.  I, like you, am often hurt by life.  It's dirty, it's painful at times. I often think of a Toby Mac song when life's taken a turn unexpected and I find myself dropped to my knees.  Music often is my go to when life isn't making much sense. 

"You turned away when I looked you in the eye,

And hesitated when I asked if you were alright,
Seems like you're fighting for your life,
But why? Oh why?
Wide awake in the middle of your nightmare,
You saw it comin' but it hit you outta nowhere,
And there's always scars
When you fall that far

We lose our way,
We get back up again
It's never too late to get back up again,
One day you're gonna shine again,
You may be knocked down,
But not out forever,
Lose our way,
We get back up again,
So get up, get up,
You gonna shine again,
Never too late to get back up again,
You may be knocked down,
But not out forever
(May be knocked down but not out forever)

You're rolled out at the dawning of the day
Heart racin' as you made you little getaway,
It feels like you've been runnin' all your life
But, why? Oh why?

So you've pulled away from the love that would've been there,
You start believin' that your situation's unfair
But there's always scars,
When you fall that far

We lose our way,
We get back up again
Never too late to get back up again,
One day, you're gonna shine again,
You may be knocked down but not out forever,
Lose our way, we get back up again,
So get up, get up
You gonna shine again
It's never too late, to get back up again
You may be knocked down, but not out forever,
May be knocked down, but not out forever!

This is love callin', love callin', out to the broken,
This is love callin'.
This is love callin', love callin', out to the broken
This is love callin'.
This is love callin', love callin',
I am so broken
This is love callin' love callin

We lose our way, (way way way ay ay ay)
We get back up, (get back up again)
It's never too late (late late late ate ate ate)
You may be knocked down but not out forever!

Lose our way,
We get back up again,
So get up get up
You gonna shine again
Never too late to get back up again
You may be knocked down,
But not out forever,

This is love (lose our way) callin' love callin' (get back up again)
To the broken
This is love (never too late) callin'
(May be knocked down but not out forever)
This is love (lose our way) callin' love callin' (we get back up again)
To the broken
This is love (never too late) callin'
(May be knocked down but not out forever)

This is love callin' love callin'
Out to the broken,
This is love callin'" - Toby Mac "Get Back Up"

I often do a psychological "turtle" when I am hurt by someone. I withdraw rather than lash out.   I tend to dwell on the what went wrong, on where did I go left rather than right.  Was it me or was it the other person? 

I am reminded, as usual, of something out of things to do with television and movies.  A storyline of someone used to do horrific things and they lived to tell about it only after a family member finally got them enraged enough to speak the truth out loud.  To tell the raw truth at last.  The family member who had intentionally provoked the altercation was at last able to help. Pointing out that what they went through was going to be with them a long time. The real decision would be where they would deal with it. Either tucked away where it was safely away from other dangers or out where they had always lived. 

I was asked to write this week about perseverance.  It's often a difficult path to take.  We often get to forgetting that though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, Jesus has absolutely no intention of allowing us to live there.  We often forget that we are a work in progress.  That we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works that we might walk in them. We often forget that we who are the called in Christ Jesus will suffer. All these are in the Bible. 

We're going to hurt. We are going to have to choose which path to go. Staying on the path, the road, set before us, or to run off that path to what's "safe".

The thing to note is workmanship is an ongoing process. We who have salvation in Christ Jesus have been placed in the body of Christ as HE SEES FIT.  We have a job to do that's for us to do. Regardless of how bruised up we get along the way.

We will indeed face temptations to walk away to whatever seems safe. I certainly can recount stories of times in my life when that's what I did.  Jesus patiently waiting for me to recognize the error of my ways. To wait for me to realize that Jesus is with me, whether in the lions den, or in the sunshine. 

Pushing through.  Toby Mac also has another song called "Move".  

This is a portion of the lyrics. 

"Another heartbreak day

Feels like you're miles away
Don't even need no shade
When your sun don't shine, shine

Too many passin' dreams
Roll by like limousines
It's hard to keep believin'
When they pass you by and by

I know your heart been broke again (oh-oh-oh)
I know your prayers ain't been answered yet (oh-oh-oh)
I know you're feeling like you got nothing left
Well, lift your head, it ain't over yet, ain't over yet, so

Keep walkin', soldier keep movin' on
(Move) Keep walkin', until the mornin' comes
(Move) Keep walkin', soldier keep movin' on
And lift your head, it ain't over yet, ain't over yet

Echoin' inside your head
Are the words that your sweet momma said (hey)
"Shoot for the moon, my dear"
So you took aim out of this atmosphere (hey)
Between high stakes and pump fakes
You're feelin' like you can't buy a break
I can hold your hand, but I can't turn your eyes to freedom (oh-ooh)

I know your heart been broke again (oh-oh-oh)
I know your prayers ain't been answered yet (oh-oh-oh)
I know you're feeling like you got nothing left
Well, lift your head (lift your head), it ain't over yet, ain't over yet so

Keep walkin', soldier keep movin' on
And lift your head (lift your head), it ain't over yet, ain't over yet

Hold on, hold on
Lord ain't finished yet
Hold on, hold on
He'll get you through this
Hold on, hold on
These are the promises
I never will forget
I never will forget so"

I have dreams of things that I would love to accomplish. I have neither the time nor the money for some of them.  I have several projects that I have practically everything to work on but life happens and the needs of others keep those things on a shelf.  For the moment my dreams lay on a shelf unfulfilled.  The needs of others need to come first.  

There's times when I want to indeed withdraw from life because of life's situations that hurt me deeply and I don't have the ability to tell anyone but Jesus of how strong the hurt is.  

Jesus says to take courage because He has overcome the world.  

We indeed have an Advocate who relates to everything Satan can throw at us because Satan threw everything possible he is capable of at Jesus. That's what overcoming the world means.  Satan did his level best to drive Jesus to the pavement and He simply got back up again and raised from the dead. 

Jesus faced betrayal. He faced heartbreak. He faced lousy work conditions. Faced family members who took issue with Him.  Faced everything we possibly could face. 

We who are in Christ are not alone. We cannot retreat into a work environment, an employer, to get away from what hurt us. We cannot go and hide to get away. We are called to run the race, to finish the fight, to strive to hear "Well done good and faithful". 

"I know your prayers ain't been answered yet (oh-oh-oh)

I know you're feeling like you got nothing left
Well, lift your head (lift your head), it ain't over yet, ain't over yet so

Keep walkin', soldier keep movin' on"

The saints of the Old Testament could only persevere because they looked forward to the cross of Jesus Christ.  

You and I can run from what hurt us or we can get back up, and press on towards the upward call in Christ Jesus that we have been called to be.  

"I have decided to follow Jesus;

I have decided to follow Jesus;

I have decided to follow Jesus;

no turning back, no turning back.

Though none go with me, I still will follow;
though none go with me, I still will follow;
though none go with me, I still will follow;
no turning back, no turning back.

The world behind me, the cross before me;
the world behind me, the cross before me,
the world behind me, the cross before me;
no turning back, no turning back."