Its late in the 4th quarter, this game is for it all, and you are tired and worn out. You have been beaten down all game, and this last drive is for the championship. The ball is on the one-yard line. The coach calls a timeout and brings the offense over, and he says the ball is coming to you. What is your mindset? How are you going to handle the weight of the team on your shoulders? Are you going to crumble under pressure, or will you rise to the occasion?
Every day, we can be faced with a situation that can bring us down if we aren't careful. We could sit on our wife's brand-new glasses and break them. We could drop the carton of eggs that we just bought. We could stub our toe on the corner of the bed and be wanting to scream a word that should never run through a Christian's mind. We could receive a pay cut at work. We could find out that the stock market is crashing. There are so many things that could happen each and everyday, and the pressure of those situations can cause us to momentarily lose sight of God. As I read through the book of Proverbs, I can't help but gain strength from Solomon's wisdom.
"If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small" is the first verse I ever memorized (Proverbs 24:10). It is the verse I go to when I feel the weight of the world on my shoulders. Again, we go back to the game. The ball is being handed off to us, and we are expected to win the game for everyone. As husbands, don't our wives look to us to be their leaders? Wives, don't our husbands look to us for affirmation? Teens, aren't you expected to be perfect little children at all times? This can all add up to create an adverse situation. How can we overcome these scenarios? We must be ready for them. Solomon also writes earlier in the chapter in Proverbs 24:5, "A wise man is strong, yes, a man of knowledge increases in strength." To overcome our adversity, we need to have strength, and to gain strength, we need wisdom.
We need to gain wisdom in the way of the Lord because it is strength for the upright (Proverbs 10:29). As Christians, let's look to Christ for our strength (Philippians 4:13). Let's go out and be the person that everyone can count on in the 4th quarter. That means when you find yourself dragging, take a moment, and pray to God for strength. I know it has worked for me, and I know it will work for you.
- Matt Jones