Never Just Lay Down

Joe Said, "never just lay down".


I marveled at this statement. I pondered it and I kept it in my mind for over two weeks. I thought it to be something we Christians can put into practice...

I hadn't seen Joe in a few years. We worked together on the rod line at the same plant back in 2004. He was an assembler and I was a forklift driver. Joe believed in putting in a day's work for a day’s pay. He never stole time. After working with Joe, I noticed that he would get dizzy. He would stretch out his arms to balance himself so that he would not fall. He would fight to stay balanced. Many times I would just pray quietly and ask God to help him.

Years later, reacquainting myself with him, I asked him, Joe how did you ever get through those times and that sickness? He looked at me as if trying to study my question before he answered.

Joe said, never just lay down. I was not going to let it conquer me. He said, if you lay down, you are surrendering to it.

Now Joe is not particularly religious, but to me, he spoke with the voice of a trumpeting angel.

We give up too quickly.
We sometimes throw in the towel long before we achieve the impending victory. If we have to fight we might as well give up.! We say in defeat, victory is for those others.

In the bible faith is a shield and is accompanied by a sword. They are weapons for battle. If we get without our sword, we must use our shield.
We can't just lie down and surrender to enemy. The greatest part of the battle is when we become without. The greatest part of our personal conflict is close combat when we are looking the enemy in the eye. I am not glorifying battle because in the battle, death can be moments or inches away.

Joe's statement is focused on the center of the battle when we are battle worn, we must stand there and fight despite how we feel.

This life we live is about moving forward.

Joe's statement is when you have lost all of weapons and the only thing we can do is move to escape the enemy's sword. When we are off balance and can't find equilibrium.

Must keep moving,
Can't give up...

Survivors are those who never give up.