Will You Get Back Up AFTER You Have Experienced a Set-back?

By Pastor Jim Kilgore

A football coach was showing a film to his team in which a player was being tackled again and again. Each time the football player would get back  up and try again. Yet the opponent would tackle him yet again. This went on until he had been knocked down nine or ten times. 

The coach suddenly stopped the film and asked his players, “You have all seen what happened. Which player would we want on our team?” “The one that keeps knocking the player down,” the players all agreed. 

“No,” said the coach, “we want the one who keeps getting up!”   

Getting Back Up

This player represents what we Christians must learn to do. 

That is, we MUST get back up once we have experienced a difficult issue, or, perhaps a series of setbacks. 

The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 4:8-9: “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.” 

This passage of Scripture is most certainly a soft pillow for a troubled heart! 

The Words Paul Chooses to Use

Troubled means, “to press.” The idea is that our troubles are pressing in on us; squeezing the hope, the very spirit out of us.

Distressed means “to cramp; to pin.” The meaning of these two words are, “we are pressed, but we have not been pinned.”

Perplexed means: “to be without resources; to have no place to go;  no place to turn to.”

Not in despair means, “Not without resources;”

The meaning is this. I have nowhere to turn; my situation is very bleak at best. Yet Paul said, that as a Christian, you ALWAYS have a place to turn. There are always options in the life of a believer. God’s Word provides this hope!

Persecuted means, “to fall behind.” It carries the idea of a runner who is running in a race and yet for one reason or another has fallen behind.

Forsaken means “abandoned.” Again, the teaching is simple. Paul said that you may be running the race of life and have fallen behind, perhaps through wasted years; missed opportunities; or even fallen behind because of sin. Yet, he said, you have not been abandoned by God! God is where he has always been. He is still sitting on His throne.

Cast down means, “To be knocked down; to be cast down.” It carries the idea of being knocked down with a great deal of force.

Destroyed means “to lose; to die; to be rendered useless.” The meaning is that we may be knocked down, but we are not knocked out! 

Scripture Provides Hope when there Appears to be NO Hope

I love this passage as it provides hope to those who have lost hope. There are some right now who feel as though there is no hope for a better tomorrow, due to the complications of life. 

This could be as a result of poor choices or circumstances.  You are on the canvass about to be counted out. Yet this passage reminds us that we can be knocked down, without being knocked out; that we can be pressed, without being pinned; that there may “appear” to be nowhere to turn for both Hope and Help; that you may have fallen behind in the race of life, but you have not been left behind by God! These verses should remind us that we can ‘Fail without being a Failure!’ Failure ONLY happens when we give up. 

How to View Your Problem

A problem is merely a GAP between where you are and where you want to be, with obstacles existing which prevent EASY movement to close the gap. Problem solving involves discovering new ways of dealing with the obstacles in our lives. What tangible steps can you take today that would close the gap?

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About Pastor Jim Kilgore   

 

Jim Kilgore has been a Pastor for over 20 years. He also has over 25 years years as a businessman. He is married to Bonnie Kilgore. They are the parents of 6 children and 15 grandchildren.  

 

Jim is a friend of Preachers that desires to serve Churches in conducting:

• Revival meetings;
• Soul-winning conferences;
• Leadership Seminars;
• Sunday School Teacher Development meetings.

Brother Kilgore can be reached for meetings at:

JimKilgoreministries@gmail.com

and followed at JimKilgoreMinistries.com