Take your best shot life

In 1979, Pat Benatar sang a song entitled, “Hit Me With Your Best Shot!” Many times we realize that life isn’t easy, some days it’s just a battle to survive and in the best of circumstances life can be very difficult. You can be cooling your heels in the blue waters of the Caribbean and one phone call can turn your world upside down.

As the insurance ad says, “Life comes at you fast.” We might be crushed by an out of the blue divorce, devastated by an terminal disease, buffeted by natural disasters or surprised by an unexpected death.

Life is like a crooked fighter who punches you below the belt, hits you when you are down and keeps punching you after the bell. We have found out that life doesn’t play fair and it’s in those moments when we have to decide, am I going down for the count or am I going to take life’s best shot and keep on standing?

The Apostle Paul wrote in II Timothy 4:16 that during his trial for preaching the Gospel, “No one came to stand by me, everyone deserted me.”

Think about that. Paul…the man who planted many churches, led many to faith in Christ, took many missionary journeys and met a lot of people in his life. Yet, when hard times fell on him, no one came to stand by him during his trial. No one. Sometimes, when we are having a difficult time, it seems like all of our friends turn their backs on us and leave us to fend for ourselves. And in those times, it even seems like God is far away and doesn’t hear our prayers. Yet, when we read the next verse, we hear Paul say, “But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me…”

I don’t know what you are going through. You might feel like everyone has deserted you. Your world might be falling apart.

You might have lost your job, or received bad news about your health. Maybe your spouse has just told you they want a divorce, or you have experienced the death of a family member or close friend. Listen…when the going gets tough…God gets going. Life’s greatest lessons are learned in the midst of life’s greatest struggles. It might be easier to tuck your head under the pillow and stay in bed all day, but the Bible tells us that “Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.”

As a Christian, we have the power of God working in our lives to help us overcome the things the world throws at us. We do not need to find ourselves “under the circumstances” because we can be victorious through Christ.

When we let go and let God, we will not have to face the storms of life by ourselves. God walks with us and He wants to help us in whatever we are facing.

Whatever comes your way, with His help you can say, “Hit me with your best shot world I’m still standing.” And that is “Something to think about for this week.”

Pastor Thad Gifford is the founding and lead pastor of the Crossroads Community Church, 62 E. Second St., London. He can be reached at (740) 852-7800, e-mail him at sermon8er@aol.com or at their website www.3c-church.org.