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Show PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER 2 Corinthians 6: 3-10 Many of us falling apart. are When think about the economy, we fall apart. When we realize how short we we goals, we fall consider our failing have fallen related to our apart. When we health, we fall apart. I have morning to together. this spite of our is time to pull yourself remind circumstances, its come us that in watching the experienced yell at the in-experienced as they went through various challenges in tears, "Pull Yourself Together." They were suggesting that things were not so bad I grew up that you could not overcome 1 them. In fact, for people of faith, overcoming goal. Now this image of "pull yourself together" is a powerful one. Imagine a psychiatrist listening to a deranged and confused patient. The Patient is about to give up and has no reason to go on, and feels like the only obstacles was the way out is suicide. He said to the psychiatrist, "I feel helpless. I keep thinking of myself as curtain" The psychiatrist said, "Well, pull yourself together." In this text, the Apostle Paul writes to the Corinthian believers in the midst of their trials and tribulations. caught twixt and between. They are They do not know which way to go. In fact like the children of Israel, they are tempted to 2 hang theirs harps on the willow tree, not to sing the Lord's song in a strange land, and to sit down by the banks of the river. But, Paul reminds them that there is no pressure too heavy to rise above, that there is no valley and that there is too low to climb out, no high to of pulling mountain too climb. We must find ways ourselves together. For God made wants us to be realistic about us and our hardships, to be optimistic about our goals, and to get active in changing our world. Notice if you will verses 4-5: "But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in affliction, in necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in 3 In labors, in watchings, fastings other words, BE REALISTIC ABOUT YOUR DIFFICULTIES. It is a given fact that things will not always go as you in " ... want them. Conditions and circumstances will not be easy We have to understand where we are in order to . - change where we are going. Make lemonade out of your lemon. Climb your mountain. Develop muscles with your weights. Be refined in the fire. Face you enemies. PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER! Furthermore, verses 6-7 reminds us: "By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, by the word of Truth, by the powers of God, by the 4 armour and on of righteousness on the right hand the left." HAVE A POSITIVE ATTITUDE. BE OPTIMISTIC. God given us something to work with. We need not despair. Isaac Singer said, "If you keep on saying things are going to be bad, you have a good chance of being a prophet." Rather, put on the has whole of God and press on. yourself. Have a "can-do" armour Encourage attitude. The little train bottom of the hill and came of the said, "I think I can" and all the way up he said "I think I can. I think I can. I think I can" until he got to the top and looked back saying, "I thought I could and I did." That why I sing sometimes, "I pressing on the upward way. New heights I'm gaining 5 everyday. Still praying as I'm onward bound. Lord, plant my feet on higher ground." The poet Rebecca Williams wrote: " "One west, ship drive east, and another With the self-same winds that blow; "Tis the set of the sails and not the gales That determines where Like the winds of the fate. they sea are go. the ways of voyage along through life; "Tis the set of a soul that decides the As we goal- And not the calm or the strife." PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER! Finally, I invite you to consider 6 verses and dishonour, by evil report and food report: as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well 8-10: "By honour known, as dying, and behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; as sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things." GET ACTIVE AND YOU WILL ACCOMPLISH THE IMPOSSIBLE. It's not sitting still that gets you up the hill, it's the moves that you make. The Old Testament asked question, "Do we stay here and die or go yonder and maybe die?" Do something. Make a decision and face the We were trapped consequences. the in sin but Jesus came down to Jesus got active at the 7 cross save us. and died and because He died He rose again that you about might live. He was realistic !. rlhJ.-, "4b/ /4 da4; h.fryl a0 the hardships of earthly life. He was optimistic about the possibilities of His power. And he did something about changing this world. and I s 8 J 'I |
