Embrace The Suck – Bad Times Can Be A Catalyst For Good Times Ahead

Word-Of-The-Day: ‘When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future.’ (Ecclesiastes 7:14); ‘<Joseph said to his brothers,> “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”’ (Genesis 50:20)

The world today has many tribulations; there is the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia, the potential for war between India and Pakistan.  In Canada and Europe, there is growing political movements toward socialism and its accompanying totalitarianism.  In the US, we have a legal dilemma with overreaching judges, issues with ‘lawfare’, obstacles in handling illegal immigration, and the appearance of a two-tiered system of justice, all while crime in some places appears to be unchecked.

There are concerns over finances.  Will the status of the United States having the standard of the US dollar continue to be the backbone of global economics, and will the US be able to remain solvent and handle its official national debt obligations (currently at $36.7 trillion) and its overall unfunded total debt obligations (currently at $103.5 trillion)?

Sometimes it seems overwhelming and can weigh us down if we are not careful.  Wars can escalate, governments can change quickly for the good or the bad, and crime (even here in southwest Florida) can increase and worsen while law enforcement becomes less concerned with stopping such activities and more focused on controlling civilian actions.

These items can occur, and some will, in varying degrees.  Others will quickly fade, and some will not happen at all.   The concern over national debt could disappear if spending is cut and DOGE finds additional programs that can be cut, for example.  Overall, this is a positive situation for nation, but for those working on those programs, it would become a negative situation.  The loss of a job and income, possible long-term unemployment and the inability to pay for shelter and food.  The overall good may be for some a negative.

In the military, there are obviously times when soldiers (and sailors and airmen) are in situations that are not optimal, and deprived of being with loved ones or creature comfort while deployed, either in keeping the peace or in fighting a war. The soldier, though learns to accept the situation, or ’embrace the suck’. In common vernacular, it ‘sucks’ to be a hot, dry desert or a wet, bug-infested triple-canopy jungle. But soldiers realize to make the best of where they are at, regardless of circumstance, and it makes them appreciate the greater, good situations that they look forward to.  

When we run into a negative situation, either as a nation or individually, it is not always for punishment – our sins can bring tribulation but sometimes good people get caught up in situations that are neither good or evil – they’re just things that happen.  If you’re skiing and an avalanche comes and sweeps you off the mountain, the snow didn’t simply decide to attack you, it gave way to gravity and you were unfortunately in the wrong place at the wrong time. 

Sometimes we do put ourselves in a bad situation, and sometimes the bad situation comes to us.  If I miss my doctor’s appointment due to an unforeseen accident on the interstate, it’s true if I left earlier, I wouldn’t have missed the appointment.  Then again, I could get there too early and waste time in the waiting room for hours.  It wasn’t sinful that I missed my appointment, however; there was no malice or evil intent on my part.  Things are not necessarily good or bad, but the predicament we are placed in makes it appear to us as being good or bad.   My situation getting stuck in traffic is good for the person who got to go in earlier than scheduled; my misfortune was a blessing to them.

We can look at Joseph in Genesis.  Joseph did nothing wrong and was devoted to God.  But for God to put Joseph where he needed to be, Joseph was kidnapped and sold by his brothers to an Egyptian.  Joseph worked, then was imprisoned by the Egyptian until he was able to interpret the Pharaoh’s dream.  From that Joseph was able to gain considerable power as he was in charge of preparing Egypt for the famine.  Joseph was then able to save his family and other Hebrews by being in the position he was in.  We can also look to the Jews who were exiled to Babylon, in Jeremiah.  The Jews were sent to a foreign land, but God told them to make the best of a bad situation – build homes, grow crops, and have families; live for God and make the best of things in exile. 

Like Joseph and the Jews exiled to Babylon, they made the pinnacle of their lives from the worst of situations.  God’s plans are for you to improve under His Grace, even in the low points of life that we all encounter.  We have a choice, to make the best of a bad situation by having Faith in Jesus pulling us out and placing our feet on solid ground, or we can choose to wallow in pity and stay down.  You may want sweet oranges, but end up with sour lemons.  With God, however, you can still overcome the sourness of the lemons of life.  When you are given lemons, don’t be sour – make lemonade!