Exit Strategy

The older we get, the more we realize that very few days ever go “perfectly” or exactly the way we planned. It seems like something inconvenient always pops up. But I have good news: As Christians, we don’t have to be miserable, frustrated, and unhappy...even when we’re having a difficult day or find ourselves in a tough spot.

For years, I lived as a “yo-yo” Christian. I was up when my circumstances were up, and I was down when they were down. My joy and happiness were based completely on my circumstances.

But do you know that God wants us to stay happy even when our circumstances don’t suit us, or we don’t get a breakthrough as quickly as we’d like? Or how about this one: God desires for us to be joyful even when the people around us are annoying or frustrating!

You see, God gives us His grace each and every day, and He gives us the ability to enjoy where we are and enjoy what we’re doing. If God asks us to do something, He always gives us a special grace for that task or season in our lives.

What is grace? Grace is the power of the Holy Spirit that enables you to do whatever you need to do.

I can look back at the early days of Joyce Meyer Ministries and sometimes wonder how my husband Dave and I managed to go non-stop for so many years, traveling in old van to nearby cities so we could minister the Gospel. The answer is that God called us to do it, so there was grace on us to keep going.

Maybe God has you in a place right now that is difficult for one reason or another. Maybe you’d love to get away from the people you work with or from a boss that isn’t your favorite. You’re thinking, Oh, God, I just can’t do this—it’s just too hard! But whatever it is, God wants to give you His grace to see you through!

Position Yourself to Receive

Now, God’s grace is there for us, but we do have a part to play. What is it? We need to know how to stay plugged in to our power source—God. It’s our responsibility to keep feeding ourselves the Word of God. We re-charge ourselves when we take time to talk to God in prayer and just sit in His presence.

Yes, going to church is an important part of our relationship with God. It’s good to take this time to worship Him, hear the Word taught, and fellowship with other believers. However, if we’re going to walk in God’s grace and strength, we need to make Him a priority throughout the rest of the week as well.

God’s not going to push His grace on you or make you receive it. He loves you and wants to help you, but He also wants you to come to Him and ask for His help.

Even throughout the day, when you feel like things are getting difficult and you need an “exit strategy” before you say or do something you’ll regret, take a moment and pray, “God, I am going to lose it here. I don’t want to do something that’s going to make me feel foolish later. Please, help me get through this with a good attitude.”

When we struggle with a difficult person or find ourselves in a situation that’s not what we expected, it’s easy to think, This can’t be God. If we’re not careful, we can actually run away from God’s plan for us because we’re not prepared to push through difficulties.

When difficult times come—and they always do—God doesn’t want us to run...He wants us to receive His grace. He wants us to take an attitude that says, “Lord, I don’t like what’s happening right now, but I know You will see me through this. You have a plan, and I am going to keep a good attitude and trust You for the outcome.”

Sometimes the Lord allows us to be around difficulty people because they need us. The Bible says we are to let our light shine. This always sounds good, but lights shine the brightest in dark places. You may be the one bright light in a “dark” place that desperately needs to see the light of Jesus Christ.

When life gets difficult, don’t run away—let God give you a momentary exit strategy. Let Him pour His grace into your life and situation. The place you’re at may not change, and the people may not change, but God can change you. He can give you joy and contentment right in the middle of your current circumstances.

I look back now and actually thank God for some of the difficulties I went through. The Lord used them to make me stronger and turn me into the person I am today. God doesn’t bring trouble into our lives, but He will most definitely use our problems to help us grow and mature…to help us get to where we want to go.

Be determined to never give up on God and His plan for your life. A lot of people give up on themselves, the people in their life, their dreams and even on God. It’s easy to give up, but it takes the power of the Holy Spirit working inside of you to stick with things when it’s difficult.

So, whenever you find yourself saying, “God, I can’t do this. It’s just too hard!”
Remember to plug in to His power, because God has an exit strategy, and it all begins with His grace.