A huge part of life is how we overcome adversity. I wrote about this some in my blog last week but I wanted to touch on one final point before we start a new series.
A few years ago I was sitting in church and the pastor was talking about how sin disables our ability to get back up — separating us from God. God sent his son, Jesus, to die for the world so that we would no longer have that separation. However, as the years have continued to unravel I still feel the weight of my sin and how it can distance me from God. Deep down I know that Jesus paid for my sin on the cross but at times I feel separation — and at various points that has really disabled my ability to move forward.
The Pastor provided a remedy for my feeling this way. Two very simple yet profound words: “Get up!” I was expecting some long drawn out answer with 15 steps to take but instead he provided 2 words. There is so much power in those two little words. The idea is that we weren’t able to get up on our own, death being the ultimate example of how we won’t be able to get back up one day — all of life leading to a moment we can’t overcome. But Jesus rose from the dead on our behalf, getting back up as a conqueror in ways we never could.
You’re probably wondering why I am writing about sin and Jesus. Well, that is the most important part of my life. Plain and simple. But the values and things I learn apply to all aspects of my personal and professional life. And they do for you as well — the work-life balance is real, but every area of life informs the others.
When I feel separated from God, I simply need to get up. When my day isn’t going as planned, I need to get up. When a client chooses to work with a competitor over us, it’s time to get up. Complaining or sulking about a loss is a waste of time. There is obviously time to reflect and learn from these things but that shouldn’t stop us from getting up.
We are human and we make mistakes. Things don’t always go as planned. What defines us is how we react to these things and situations.
Though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again.
—Proverbs 24:16
Guys, right-living isn’t about not falling, it’s about where we go when we fall and our willingness to get back up.
This is something that is always encouraging to me so I wanted to share it with you all. You guys are awesome and I love the interactions we’ve had over the past few weeks. If you have been following along and we have never met, shoot me a message and let’s chat. Have a great weekend!
