ONE MORE ROUND REPRISE

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

Sorry for missing you all yesterday. It is a “conference week” and that requires some earlier than usual mornings.  It continues today, so I thought I would reprise a little OFH from August 2014.  

I pray it ministers to you today!

“Going one more round when you don’t think you can that’s what makes all the difference in your life. – Rocky Balboa

It is not often that we dip into the well of that amazing philosopher Rocky Balboa for inspiration, but today I do about a man who was in my office yesterday.

This guy suffers from a disability.

This guy is challenged to speak clearly and effectively due to an "unfixable" malady.

This guy struggles to make ends meet.

Yet it is this guy who quoted the Philadelphia fighter while meeting with me yesterday.

It is his philosophy of life.

He realizes he will take punches each day.  Lots of them. He already has.

Lost jobs due to economic downturns.

Abandoned by friends who found his challenges too “challenging”.

He has been beaten but HE isn't BEATEN!

Instead there he was excitedly embracing an opportunity we were giving him to “work even harder”; to potentially take another punch or two down the road.

Pretty remarkable.

We can all learn a lot from “this guy”.

Things like:

Tenacity

Perseverance.

Patience.

Passion.

Drive.

FAITH!

In the time, I have known "this guy", despite all his troubles, his FAITH has never wavered.  Adversity after adversity, punch after punch and he keeps getting up for one more round.

Can we say the same?

Ask yourself.

How do you respond when life is bludgeoning you like Apollo Creed?  Are you reaching for the white towel or are you ready to answer the next bell?  Are you ready to go one more round when everything says you can't?

GOD expects us to keep the faith; to keep relying on HIM despite the circumstances or challenges we may face or be dealt!  GOD WILL provide the STRENGTH we must be willing to "go one more round".

1 Chronicles 16:11 (NLV)

Look to the Lord and ask for His strength. Look to Him all the time.

I am so encouraged for my friend for I am confident his perseverance will eventually pay off.  I mean to look at him from the outside you would be quick to mistakenly believe he could offer little.  But rather He is an inspiration to me.  He exercises his FAITH every day and trusts what GOD is doing on the inside of Him regardless of how things might be decaying on the outside!  He reminds me of this little passage.

2 Corinthians 4:16 (MSG)

So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace.

My friend GRABS that GRACE with both hands each and every day and allows it to inspire and energize him to GO ONE MORE ROUND.

Can we say the same?

I don't know what you are up against today, but don't give up.  Instead GO ONE MORE ROUND!

...let us not get tired of doing what is right, for after a while we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t get discouraged and give up. Galatians 6:9 (LB)

I love you all.

Have a blessed day!

OPPORTUNITIES for HOPE