Back-To-School : God’s Got This!Sýnishorn

This verse is in a letter written by Paul, a famous pastor and church planter in the first century. 

If ever there was a person who had a right to say, “I cannot do this”, it was Paul. You see Paul wrote this letter from jail. He was at the height of his career. Yet there he was in jail, on false charges, chained to a wall. 

However, Paul didn’t feel defeated. When you read the whole letter you’ll find that Paul speaks positively and optimistically. He uses the word joy (or its derivative) 16 times. Paul was not at all beaten down by his circumstances. 

How is this possible? 

Instead of dwelling on what was wrong, Paul focused on what was right. He said: “...Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, ...if there is any anything  worthy of praise, think about these things.” (Philippians 4:8 ESV)

To think means to dwell or to linger on something. 

By dwelling on things that made him grateful, God gave Paul the strength to get through that hard time. 

So when your life is hard and you feel like giving up, give this a try. Write a list of what makes you happy or proud or hopeful. Listen to music that offers God praise for helping you. Put something on your calendar that you are looking forward to doing. Call a friend and thank him or her for being supportive. 

When you feel like giving up, God will give you the strength to make it. 

Remember, God’s got this!