Don't measure your own or another person's success by how high you are able to climb, but rather by how high you bounce when you've hit bottom and things aren't going as planned.
It's all about the bounce, and I happen to share my life with someone - ie; my husband Philip, who knows how to bounce back from hard things and refuses to give up on dreaming great big dreams. He also is very good at encouraging others to do the same.
I believe a key to his perseverance and bounce-back ability is not simply his personality, upbringing, experiences, or the people he hangs around with but rests in his relationship with God and his love for God’s Word.
On a hard day, when the circumstances seem especially against him, you’ll find him doing one of two things. He will either be listening to a sermon where faith in God is preached, or he’ll be spending time in God’s presence with a bible in his hands, carefully meditating and praying over God’s promises to him.
Over the years, I have often woken up in the middle of the night or early morning to find Philip missing from our bed. Instead of tossing and turning with worries that would usually give most people a sleepless night, I often find him walking the floor praying and declaring God’s promises or simply sitting and spending time worshipping and enjoying God’s presence.
Today I want to inspire you with my husband’s example and encourage you to take the time to listen to those people who speak words of faith, life, and hope and who encourage you to believe.
Learn from those who share about the love and grace of God, and then choose to pick up a bible and find God’s wisdom, direction, and promises for your life and the situations you are facing. It will help to energize your faith, draw you closer to Jesus, help you dream big dreams, and live with hope in your heart.
Regardless of your journey, when you choose to spend time in God’s presence consistently, put His Word in your heart and listen to those people who set great examples of faith and who know and are skilled in how to inspire and teach God’s Word, it will help you bounce back from adversity, go further and higher in life and to become the person you were created to be.
"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize." (1 Corinthians 9:24)
"But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.” (2 Chronicles 15:7)
"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." (Galatians 6:9)
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)
“Therefore, put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. (James 1:22-23)
“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17)
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” .(2 Timothy 3:16)
“So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11)
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the example others who know you can give me and for those skilled in sharing and teaching your Word. Please help me consistently do those things, which will help me grow in you, deal with my issues, and keep moving forward so that I will become all you have made me to be. In Jesus name Amen.