The Tough Get Going

As seen in the HEARTbeat and the Village Voice

“The Tough Get Going”

            We’ve all heard the phrase, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going!”  Exactly what does this mean?  And exactly where are the tough going?  And if we refuse to go, what are we going to do?  All of these are questions that zip through our minds when we hear this phrase.

            I remember hearing this phrase coming from my coach during a halftime locker room meeting.  Our team was behind in the score, and to win we would have to all pull together and work as a team.  But even deeper than that, we all had to believe in ourselves first.  If only one person failed to believe, then, “A chain is only as strong as its weakest link!” (I had to throw that one in for free!)  We supported each other, whether it was on the basketball court or from the bench.  We were one team with one goal.

            Jesus told His apostles it would be hard to follow Him.  He even alluded to the “cup” they would all have to drink, and that cup was one of suffering.  We look back at the beginning of the modern church and point to one event – Peter’s pinnacle sermon at Pentecost.  Thousands came to be saved and baptized.  It was a glorious day for the kingdom of Heaven.  But do you think it was glorious for the enemy?  I think not.  The sermon preached that day made enemies of the Roman rule, as well as within the Jewish elite, specifically the Pharisees and Sadducees.  They saw the people turn away from “needing” them to approach God.  I have to believe the Sadducees weren’t just quietly complicit in Rome’s persecution of the new Christians but were actively working to squash this new movement.

            Is it easy to follow Christ in our modern time?  Some would say yes while others might just say no.  The “yes” answer would be a superficial and accurate response.  The “no” answer would be indicative of the struggle we have inside of us; a struggle between our spirit and our flesh. 

            Working for the kingdom, or better said “outreach” through the church and different groups is extremely rewarding, yet not easy.  When things begin to not go our way, we tend to shrink from involvement or withdraw completely.  People leave groups for various reasons, and the same goes for attendance in church.  Together we can remain strong, but when people shrink from fellowship or leave for any reason, it weakens the body as a whole.

            We all have a part to play in the body of Christ.  Some of us are hands, some are ears, some are mouths, and the comparisons can go on.  Sometimes a body part can get bruised.  The only way for healing to occur is by remaining a part of the body.  Cutting a bruise out is a ridiculous thought.

            Are we in tough times?  Yes, we are.  The only way we can remain tough and “get going” is through the strength given us by God Himself through the Holy Spirit.  One God, one team, one mission: reach the world for Christ!