“You cannot do something with your life if you walk away from tough situations before God tells you to.”

A thought by Miles McPherson (2009-11-01) from his book, DO Something!: Make Your Life Count (p. 44). Baker Books. Kindle Edition.

That is the truth! 

I had a period in my life for three years that I was a real jerk.  It was a tough time for my wife, Margaret but she stuck with me and we are still together living some of the best days of our life.  God has used our life together in so many different unbelievable ways.  We have been able to help so many other marriages in their tough times. 

I remember the day that we found out that Margaret had the C word, Cancer.  That was a tough time for us but we held steady and didn’t run from God.  We have made it through with God’s sustaining grace.   She went out this morning and walked 1 ½ hours with my sister.  She is Cancer free after all these years.  She is a survivor.

There was a Sunday in my life as a church planter when a good friend of mine came and told me that he was going down the street from our church to plant a new church. And he did it with some people from the church I was pastoring and that I had planted.  Those were tough days in which I felt betrayed but we grew through it and were able to show what God’s love and forgiveness is all about. 

Tough times come to all marriages, to all healthy people and to all occupations.  Life is tough.  As Robert Schuller wrote few years back, Tough Times Never Last, But Tough People Do.  Life is tough.

The Apostle Paul while in prison wrote about his tough time.  He said in Philippians 1.12-14 (Msg), “I want to report to you, friends, that my imprisonment here has had the opposite of its intended effect. Instead of being squelched, the Message has actually prospered. All the soldiers here, and everyone else, too, found out that I'm in jail because of this Messiah. That piqued their curiosity, and now they've learned all about him. Not only that, but most of the followers of Jesus here have become far more sure of themselves in the faith than ever, speaking out fearlessly about God, about the Messiah.”

He didn’t run into his cell and have a pity party because of his tough time.  No he trusted God and God used it.

So what tough time are you going through?