I love the lyrics from “Get Back Up.” TobyMac sings, “We lose our way, we get back up again. It’s never too late to get back up again. We maybe knocked down, but not out forever.” Like running up the Rocky Steps leading to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, we somehow ascribe to the 72-step ascent as a great comeback from insurmountable odds.
But we’ve felt some deadly blows in 2020, haven’t we? Some of us would rather take a Rocky pounding over the setbacks of job loss, health threats, business closures, classroom restructurings, piling of racial tensions, political unrest and yes, death due to weariness and disease. People looked at 2020 and prayed the bell would ring / ball would drop on this savage beat down. And yet, the break is short as 2021 has a great deal to live up to. People have put to rest the old year and are back in the ring for a great comeback.
Here’s a question: in light of the previous year’s pounding, what are we ready to come back from and come back to? It’s obvious as a country, we wish to tackle the obstacles and come back stronger, to bring things back to normal. But what if our “normal” didn’t include a dependence on God? Are we okay with going back to a life without peace of mind, without faith, without hope? Rocky acknowledged his shortcomings before he ever got in the ring, but with help of a strong and focused trainer, he endured through his obstacles, he listened and took note of the changes needed to comeback despite his underdog status. When Rocky met his opponent in the ring, his opponent was not prepared for Rocky’s comeback.
Yes, 2021 proves hopeful, but we still have an opponent who stands against us. Have we equipped ourselves for the great comeback? Are we making inroads towards reconciliation? Are we strengthening our prayer muscles by humbling ourselves? Are we seeking God for wisdom, guidance, purpose and correction? Are we trusting God with our whole heart and leaning not on our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6)? Are we truly making inroads to love our neighbors as ourselves?
By God’s grace, we have stepped into the 2021 ring. If we expect to defeat our foe with a pre-pandemic mindset, we might as well hand the victory over to our opponent. He smells apathy, fear, even arrogance and uses it to his advantage. Our great comeback lies in coming to Jesus. It is in His word “I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:1-2). Only in His training can you and I find strength. Only in His great wisdom can we find the courage to stand against and defeat the spiritual opposition…
- To love instead of hate.
- To give instead of withhold.
- To spur on instead of instigate.
- To educate instead of dumb down.
- To create change instead of initiate stagnation.
- To share hope instead of harboring resentment.
- To pour out compassion instead of spewing shame.
- To live a life worthy of honor instead of wasting the gifts life offers.
- To serve God instead of blaming Him for all our troubles.
In the great comeback, we might lose our way, but we get back up again in Christ. In Christ.
