Life is hard; as anyone with the ability to read this blog can attest to, and most things worth achieving usually demand a great deal of sacrifice in order to develop fruitful rewards. On this journey to attempt to identify the behaviors and characteristics that lead to the Habits of a Flourishing Life, I cannot ignore the reality that often the creation of healthy habits, especially in the area of human performance, require that we endure some Tough Seasons. As anyone associated with a sports team can explain, the accomplishments of a conference or divisional championship, the naming as an MVP or any other post-season individual award, or the crowning jewel of being named a national champion, only occur after the sacrifice of blood, sweat, and tears over an extended period of time.

Others may feel free to disagree with the assessment that I usually don’t shy away from hard work when it is required to accomplish a task. Whether it’s achieving an academic degree, a challenging promotion, or the finish line of a race, I’m stubborn enough to persevere, even through Tough Seasons, to complete those goals that I feel are worthwhile. However, I will confess that when I am knee-deep in the Messy Middle and struggling to Finish Well, I’m likely to enter into a season of complaining because my default preference is a path with few obstacles. But when I walk into one of these Tough Seasons, God usually sends me a reminder that it is only through these seasons of suffering, and through these Gifts of Winter that He accomplishes something special inside of me.

Jentzen Franklin, who I shared about in Greener Grass, prompts readers in Acres of Diamonds, to “Remind yourself that God digs in the dirt to bring forth a diamond. Remind yourself that through these [Tough Seasons] your faith will grow…We may not understand some of the things that happen to us in this life on earth, but God promises that all things work together for them that love the Him and are called according to His purpose. All things…When you are going through a Tough Season, you will hear a voice in your head constantly telling you to give up. Trying to convince you that you won’t make it, pushing you to quit.” It’s during these seasons that God is helping to create in us a Habit of Resilience, a time where we take our passions and persevere to see the hidden potential that results from enduring the pain and seeing a task through.

What I relish from Franklin’s wise advice is that we are reminded that we are encouraged “to meditate on God’s Word day and night. In the Hebrew, the word meditate means to ‘utter or speak’-in other words, self-talk. You are supposed to self-talk the Word of God through your Tough Seasons…Your self-talk sets you up for misery or joy. You can tell where your faith is by what comes out of your mouth. The first way to outlast your Toughest Season as a blessed man or woman is to meditate on the Word of God and not let it depart from your mouth. This is why self-talk matters.”

Perhaps there will be time in later posts to share more advice from Franklin on how to outlast the Tough Seasons of life, such as being planted like a tree; however, today’s focus is on Scripture and self-talk. My hope is that God will provide you specific nudges through His word that uniquely remind you of His presence, even in the Tough Seasons. Whether it’s John 10:10, Psalm 139, Isaiah 43:10, or your One Word that God uses to speak to you, my deepest desire is that you will allow Him to walk you through this season because if you try to do it alone through sheer might, like I often do, you may miss out on the best rewards.

Please feel free to share below some ways that you have endured the Tough Seasons in your life. Who knows what you might share that can benefit someone else!

Reference:

Franklin, J. (2020). Acres of diamonds: Discovering God’s best right where you are. Chosen Books.