Getting out of trouble
By William Wright
By William Wright
Posted Wednesday, April 29, 2015 8:00 am
After a few vain attempts, the farmer decided the animal was hopelessly stuck and the well needed to be covered up anyway. It just wasn’t worth the time and expense to try to retrieve the poor donkey. So, he invited all his neighbors to come over and help him cover the well with the donkey in it.
Solemnly, they all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. As soon as the donkey realized what was happening he cried horribly. The farmer and his neighbors blocked out the donkey’s cries and kept shoveling dirt on top of him. Then, to everyone’s amazement the donkey quieted down. A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down into the well. He was astonished at what he saw.
With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing an amazing thing. He would shake it off and take a step up! As the farmer’s neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he continued to shake it off and take a step up. Soon, everyone was astonished as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and joyously trotted off!
Isn’t it true that in life we, like that poor donkey, can fall on hard times and feel trapped in a pit of despair? It could be due to our own carelessness, recklessness or it may not have been our fault at all. Yet, we may be stuck in a situation that seems impossible to get out of. Worse, it may feel as if life is also throwing all kinds of dirt on you — lies, slander, betrayals, acts of injustice, oppression, health challenges like sickness or accidents are all crashing down upon you.
So how do you get out of this situation? How do you cope with the “dirt” that’s sending you to an early grave? The key to our escape is to “shake it off and take a step up.” Yes, start viewing each of your troubles as a steppingstone. How? First, avoid panicking, overreacting or giving too much attention to what others say or do.
God’s Word advises at Philippians 4:6-7: “Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God. Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel.” — Contemporary English Version.
This approach allows you to “shake off” many problems. Praying regularly and having a thankful heart can also do wonders! Keep asking God to give you peace in the name of Jesus Christ and God’s peace will control the way you think and feel, allowing you not to worry as much.
We can also learn from the instructions Jesus gave to his disciples as they were entering their house-to-house ministry at Matthew 10:12-14: “When you go into a house, say, ‘Peace be with you.’ If the people in that house welcome you, let your greeting of peace remain; but if they do not welcome you, then take back your greeting. And if some home or town will not welcome you or listen to you, then leave that place and shake the dust off your feet.” — Good News Translation.
What effect do you think this had on the attitude of Jesus’ disciples as they left an ungrateful household or town and shook the dust off their feet? Could it have reminded them that people will answer for their own actions, that once you have done your part it is important to move on, shake it off, without letting any part of that experience slow your forward movement?
Shaking off trials that could weigh us down would also include freeing our mind of worries as Jesus said at Matthew 6:34. Furthermore, we need to learn to endure the things we cannot change, according to Romans 5:3-4, and to humbly recognize that persecution is to be expected for true servants of God as John 15:19-21 and 2 Timothy 3:12 reminds us.
What about taking “a step up?” How do we do that? Would you agree that it takes a person of real faith to try to walk in the steps of Christ? This is an elevated path that leads to pleasing God and eternal life, according to 1Peter 2:21-23 and John 8:12. It requires that we do more than tolerate our enemies, but to love them.
Jesus said at Matthew 5:44-48: “love your enemies and pray for those who harass you so that you will be acting as children of your Father who is in heaven. He makes the sun rise on both the evil and the good and sends rain on both the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love only those who love you, what reward do you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing? Don’t even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore, just as your heavenly Father is complete in showing love to everyone, so also you must be complete.”
Are you willing to take this elevated step? Showing love can raise you out of the deepest pits of despair. It causes you to think of others over yourself. It frees the heart from hatred, grudges and revenge, as God’s Word commands at Leviticus 19:17-18 and Romans 12:17-21. To love is to live in freedom. It is God’s way. Make it your way and love will lift you up where you belong.
So, do not despair if your life falls into a rut and you feel stuck. Try shaking things off and taking a step up by applying God’s Word in your life. You’ll be surprised at how uplifted you’ll feel. Then each step up will be like a stepping-stone to stepping out of the troubles of this life in preparation for a better life in a better world to come.
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Repost by permission of William Wright