Lynn Jones: Handling difficult days
By Lynn Jones
Some folks are eternally optimistic. Others are perpetually pessimistic. Some can spot a ray of hope on the darkest day. Others can spot a small cloud on the sunniest day. I have always admired those who can find the best in difficult situations.
I heard of a person who was always pessimistic and complaining, especially about the weather. One day a friend met him on the sidewalk on a perfectly gorgeous day and said to him, “Isn’t this a lovely day?” He responded, “Yeah, but it’s raining somewhere.”
On the other hand, someone said that you can always spot an optimistic person. He’s the guy who sees a housefly buzzing through his living room and thinks that the fly is looking for a way out of the house.
That person may be a figment of someone’s imagination, but I read of a person who had a name and an identity. His name was Doug Weaver. He served six years as football coach at Kansas State. During his tenure at the school, some students hung him in effigy in front of the university library. When asked what he thought of that, Weaver responded, “I’m glad it happened in front of the library. I’ve always emphasized academics.”
Now that’s the kind of guy that I admire. He didn’t overreact. He didn’t let a difficult situation overwhelm him. He found something to be glad about!
He reminds me of a man who was once put into prison. When that happened to him, he said, “I am so grateful that this imprisonment has given me the opportunity to witness to so many people.” When he was stricken with a severe illness, he did not give up. In fact, he said that he was grateful for the illness because it had led him to experience so much of the power of God. When he faced other difficulties, he always rejoiced over them. He said that they produced perseverance, character, and hope.
That man’s name was Paul, and you can read those reactions in Phil. 1:12-14, 2 Cor. 12:7-10, and Rom. 5:1-5. His reaction to those difficulties was not based upon some shallow optimism. It was based upon the profound hope and strength which was his (and ours) in Jesus Christ.
How do you react to such moments? If you are like are like many people, you find it difficult to handle those times very well.
One of the things that James advised was this. He said, “Consider it pure joy when you face trials of many kinds because they develop perseverance” (James 1:2). The commitment to such a reaction must be made before the difficult moment arrives. When the testing time arrives, you will no longer have any time to prepare for it. This must be your premeditated response to such moments. May God help us make that a reality in our lives!
Lynn Jones is a retired pastor who lives in Oxford. He does supply preaching for churches in his area and often serves as an interim pastor. Jones is also an author, has written two books and writes a weekly newspaper column. He may be contacted at: kljones45@yahoo.com.
