I have absolutely no desire to bungee jump. If that’s your gig, then more power to you, but if any of you ever hear tell of me doing it, you will then know for certain what you expect even now – I have finally and totally flipped my lid!
The more I think about it, however, the more I realize how closely real life can resemble a bungee jump. Life consists of a series of ups and downs, bouncing between extremes of good and bad circumstances. How can we prepare for the extreme bungee jump of life?
Three Truths to Know About Life’s Bungee Jump
I am learning some life lessons from Philippians 3 that are helping me with life’s ups and downs.
1. Life is a journey to experience on the way to an ultimate destination.
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We need to slow down and experience the journey and learn the lessons it can teach us. We experience God in our circumstances, especially those that challenge our faith. What better experience than to experience the power of Christ working in us?
Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. – Philippians 3:8-11
2. Don’t let the past – especially the immediate past – ruin the future.
I recently read a powerful quote from Andy Andrews, “Don’t let the last few moments affect the next few moments.” I can learn from my past, but I cannot live in my past.
…But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
– Philippians 3:13-14
We can learn lessons from our past, but we cannot let our past define us. I see many believers make one of two mistakes from their past. One the one hand, they never look back and learn from their past. They often repeat the same mistakes and live in the same self-destructive patterns than have bound them for years.
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A second mistake is to always look to the past and long to return to it. John Maxwell wrote, “Change is inevitable, but growth is optional.” Many want to return to the past, but they do not realize that is both impossible and counter-productive. God has a great new future for us. Our best days lie ahead. We cannot let the past neither cripple us nor captivate us.
3. A clear picture of the future makes today’s ups and downs more bearable.
Paul had one destination in mind and staying aware of that destination helped him weather the various circumstances he faced.
I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
– Philippians 3:14
A jumper may bounce up and down, but he knows, if successful, he will ultimately stop bouncing and reach the destination. When we live today with eternity in view, we can realize that we do not have to accomplish everything today. Just because things look down today doesn’t mean they will always be this way.
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Today may have awakened today facing a difficult challenge. Maybe your health is not what you wish, and you are sick and tired of being sick and tired. You may be feeling the sting of disappointment in your own actions or the actions of someone you trusted. For some, the bungee ride involves a relationship, for others finances, still others an emotional struggle with “the blues.”
Whatever your place on life’s bungee ride, look for God at work around you. Your circumstances do not flummox Him. He knew the content of all of your days even before you came into the world. He will use your bungee ride to teach you His wisdom and build your faith.