Let us recall the words of Winston Churchill; “If you are going through Hell, keep going”. It is a no-brainer. When things get tough, the best course of action is to continue the march forwards. The Psalmist wrote, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4 ESV). This passage raises all kinds of questions. How does someone devoted to God end up in the valley of the shadow of death? How does one keep the faith when one has hit rock bottom?
As a watchman tasked with steering us towards a better future. You must commit to keep marching forward. In rainfall or sunshine, no matter what happens. You must keep the faith. It will not all be rainbow and sunshine on this path you have chosen. The Bible does not teach a life without troubles or tribulations. Jesus was quite explicit, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33 ESV). If you go out into the world to steer it towards where God wants, expect tribulations. You do not get to declare a victory without fighting a battle. You do not get a crown of the overcomer, if you have not fought for a cause and won. Your mission will not be as simple as you are thinking it is. Things will get bad before they get better.
When you realize that you are going through hell, or that you are walking through the valley of the shadow of death. Never doubt your mission. Never for a second doubt the commitment of heaven towards you. The right course of action begins with an honest evaluation of your situation. You are in the valley of the shadow of death. Own it, do not sugar-coat it. You cannot wish it away or ignore it, hoping it disappears. It won’t. When the British turned to Winston Churchill to lead them through troubled times, he was honest about their situation, “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat”. Honesty will make you re-strategize, evolve and grow your spirit to overcome the task at hand. Do not crawl back to your safety zone, keep going forward.
