These are unprecedented times. We don’t know what the future holds. But what makes it beautiful is that we have a choice. We have the choice to stay still and stagnant or to move and be heard. As this world has progressed and evolved into what we know it to be today, we also know that they had choices to make, they had setbacks, they had death all around them. They never gave up, they kept pushing forward, they dared to push the boundaries and when they did they would either fail or succeed.
The late Thomas Edison said, “I have not failed 700 times. I have succeeded in proving that those 700 ways will not work. When I have eliminated the ways that will not work I will find the way that will work.”
“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.”
Just because you may or may not fail does not mean that you won’t succeed in time. Some people may believe that well since I failed I can’t keep going. Well here is something that I have learned in sports and in life. I’ve missed all my shots during practice so should I just stop because I will never be good enough. No. If it is something that you love to do you keep trying. Michael Jordan did not just become one of the greatest players of all time without working, he worked at it every day and even if he missed a million shots that never stopped him from pushing forward. The same is true in life we can’t stop pushing the boundaries, in order to get better we have to have the right mindset. We have to be willing to go where no one else has dared to go, because greater things lie ahead. We have to be willing to never give up or give in just because it gets hard or that it seems impossible.
When life pushes you down God is saying get up, move forward and don’t look back because redemption and forgiveness is right in front of you. Through our redemption there is stories and we would not be where we are today without the stories that God has lead us through. We are in a battle and even when we are in a season of growth and fruitfulness there will be another battle. God never says this life will be easy but what He does say is that we will never be alone.
He says in Jeremiah 29:11-12 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me and I will listen to you.”
He knows that His plans for us in our lifetime is perfect because He is perfect, He knew we would be right where we are right now. When we have seasons of sadness, anger, depression, anxiety and so on “we have to lift ourselves up off the floor and continue to move forward,” yes it will hurt and yes it will be hard but to go and better “we have to move and continue on like today never happened” to look ahead and see what God created. He did not create us to stay still, he created us to spread His word even when we do not want to and he continues to ask us “I dare you to move.” “I dare you to move ahead with what I have in store for you instead of what you have in store for yourself.”
I will leave you with this do not give up when it gets hard because when it gets hard is when you are about to have breakthrough. About a year ago I was told by an acquaintance that when he was going through one of the most difficult times in his life he did not believe the song he was singing because of the hurt and the waves that had been knocking him down over and over again. The song he was singing was telling everyone that listens that God will never leave you. That He will forever be by our side. God’s power and presence moves mountains, breaks what has us in chains, stills the oceans and when he speaks everything harmful in our path flees. He says that He is by us and we are His. That He will never change and if we pray to Him He will listen and He will guide us through our path even when we cannot see what is ahead. Keep the faith, stay strong and do not let Satan keep you down, do not let him silence you. Pray with authority and worship like your feet are on fire because one day no one will be able to quiet you because of who you are or because of what you believe in.
God bless and stay safe.
~Amanda
