Have you ever gone
up against a challenge that seemed so impossible to win? You sit there wondering
what you should do. What is the right move? Is there a right move? Sometimes it
seems that no matter what we do we will never get to where we need to be, and
we are just stuck. I’ve been in these situations more times than I can count,
and I never know what the right thing to do is until I already acted in the
situation. Some days the outcome is good and other days the outcome may be
worse that where I started. But sometimes the easiest choice is to trust God,
trust yourself, get up, and try again.
There’s a story in
the bible about David and Goliath, maybe you have heard of it. The rundown of
the story is Goliath, a champion fighter, would mock and taunt the Israel army.
But all the soldiers were too intimidated to go up against Goliath. David, a shepherd,
witnessed what was taking place and decided to take matters into his own hands.
He used the weapons he was equipped and was helped by God to kill Goliath and
prove how worthy he was to be king.
David changed the
game. He didn’t give Goliath the power to intimidate him. Instead, he used
weapons that were worth less than what everyone else, the soldiers, had. And
yet he still came out on top. When doing what is needed to be done to get you
to where you want to go, there will be challenges. You might go through months
of interviews before actually receiving a job. You might have to take a class
five different times just to pass it. You might have to budget your spending
because you’re working towards something bigger. All these tasks seem impossible
in the moment until they’re done.
My first year of
college was very difficult. I took a class that was extremely hard for me, and for
the first time I didn’t receive the grades I was used to. So then the second
semester I had to take the second part to this course, and I did just as bad. I
changed some of my study habits, but it seemed like no matter what I did, I wasn’t
seeing the results I was used to. I even thought about quitting my major
because maybe I just didn’t have it in me. But then I thought to myself, why
would I settle for an easier major than work my butt off and earn a degree in
something I love?
The following year, I
changed everything. I started completely over from scratch. I changed my schedule,
the way I studied, and the effort I put in to even the smallest of assignments.
And my grades improved. The second semester of that year, I evaluated what I did
for the previous semester, and I began to have a clearer idea of what worked
and what didn’t. So, I fixed what was broken and kept what worked. And guess
what, I made all A’s.
Not only did I learn
valuable lessons from what I considered to be a failure of a freshman year, but
I learned what works for me when I am studying which will help me a great amount
now and in the future. I proved to myself that I did in fact have it in me, and
I could conquer a major that only a few months before I thought I would change.
For me, changing the game was changing my methods. It was about not being afraid
and trying my hardest. I didn’t allow any time for doubt to creep in. Changing
the game was about not giving up and praying to God everyday about being
grateful instead of stressed because I knew He was on my side, even in my
darkest moments.
Maybe it is time for
you to change the game. Maybe that means trying again and using different
strategies. Or maybe it is about creating a detailed plan to ensure that you will
save money. It could be doing something new and taking a different approach, or
trying again while changing the things you find did not work. God is not going
to do it for you, but He will strengthen you. God is on your side if you allow Him
to be. You may still need to prove your worth for whatever you are trying to
get to everyone else and possibly even to yourself, but to God you are already worthy.
He wants you to do good, and He wants you to use every ounce of energy within
you to get you to where you want to be. So, get up and try again.
