Sidelined
I might as well open the can of worms right in the beginning. Sometimes life sidelines you. It happened to me. If you live long enough, it will happen to you too.
For all intents and purposes, this is the whole essence of what this blog site is about. The reason I desire to help people is to get them to see that living a fulfilling life, even when sidelines occur, is possible. We all have times in our life when we get sidelined. Nobody likes it. In fact, we often hate or despise it. Those of you who know me, know that I can testify that my life has been as hard as any. I have credentials behind my name to write this post. I take this topic very seriously. My hope is that I can bring you to the place of God’s healing, even in the middle of a sideline.
What does being sidelined as a Christian mean? It means temporarily being taken off course as we try to navigate through life’s journey. The unexpected bumps, potholes, and blockades in the road of your life are hardships that can sideline you. If you’ve driven the highway of Christian life for any length of time at all, you know the types of things that try to derail us. Beware, because I assure you, hardships are out there and hardships are real.
Some hardships in life might only be a simple rumble under your wheel as you fly over it and right on by. Most times these little bumps don’t really sideline us, but we feel the bump, and after adjusting the steering wheel or repositioning ourselves in the seat, we can maneuver through them simply with the "live and learn" skill set we have gained over time as a Christian. We either hit bumps and continue to roll, or see them coming and try to miss them. Wisdom helps us here, as well as a good knowledge of scripture and a solid prayer life. Sometimes these issues are uncomfortable, but they are manageable. The good news is that God promises to lead us as the Good Shepherd He is (Psalm 23), and if He is our guide, these things will not take us off course.
Other times we deal with a real pothole of a situation. You hit some big hole, or possibly a rock or tree branch was in your way, driving your front end out of alignment. Maybe even a deer caught you off guard or unnoticed and now your car’s hood is smashed. You may have tried your best to rebound from a hard hit, but you really felt the thump and it rattled you a bit. There is no shame in admitting it. There might be some damage to the vehicle you drive. Repairs to your soul and spirit might be required. It might take some real effort to get back on track, seeking the Lord in scripture or guidance from a Church leader you trust. When we hit a big pothole in life, this type of work is necessary and expected. For some that are hurt, you might have to learn how to deal with a conflict or severing hurt in a relationship. There might be work involved in looking on the inside and with God’s help seeing what needs to be changed in one’s own behavior or actions. The Lord helps us keep a reign on ourselves by the prompting of His Spirit living inside us. If we are willing to let the Spirit lead us, He is more than willing to help us navigate through these tough times. Jesus Himself instructs us that by giving us His Holy Spirit and living in Him, we are convicted in righteousness, and He will guide us.
John 16:7-11
Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
Still for others, there may be things so large on the road of life that you cannot swerve to miss, dodge, or keep from hitting. There are some things that sideline us so harshly and abruptly, that our spiritual walk may be completely halted in a crashing stop. These are the things that challenge our faith. The loss of a loved one, a betrayal of a close friend, a divorce, a child that has turned their back on the Lord, a sin that you can’t seem to recover from, the fallout of your business, these are all things that often not only sideline people, but can derail them completely. It is sad to see some Christians who have met opposition in their life, and due to the crazy hardship they smacked up against, they no longer are walking with the Lord. My heart reaches out to you if this is a fitting description of your life. May this post reach the deepest place inside of you.
Hebrews 13:5-6 says this:
and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say,
“The Lord is my helper;
I will not fear;
what can man do to me?”
Unfortunately, I’ve seen too many people let go of God’s hand when things get hard. Instead of pulling on his arm like a little kid pulls on a parent, saying “help me, Dad… help me, Mom,” we lose sight of the one we really need to be depending on and let go of His grip. Let me assure you, He is right beside you, and if you would decide today to reach back out to hold it, His hand is waiting to bring you into His warm embrace.
Here is another encouraging thought. What if we look at things totally and completely different?
2 Corinthians 4:7-10
But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.
Yes we are going to have obstacles on life’s path… it’s a given. However, it is our choice to allow them to sideline us or not. Paul wrote these things to the Corinthians to build them up. I can see him coaching them along, saying… “Come on team, you got this! Don’t let difficulties get you down! Pick yourself up and keep on trucking!” I also join with Paul and write the same things to you. Look again at the words that were just spoken:
When we suffer hardships as a Christian, “the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.” How cool is that?
Wait a minute. What are you saying? You mean to tell me that when I have a difficulty in my life, Christ’s life is manifested in my own body?
I cannot begin to describe to you how difficult the last 15 years of my life has been. I have been through sickness. I have lived through the scars and pain of a church split. I’ve been on my hands and knees pleading with a God to heal my first wife. I have had the broken heart of saying goodbye to a spouse that has gone on to heaven without me. I have seen pain and heartache through a divorce. I have been sidelined with a life altering traumatic brain injury. I have mourned the loss of my hearing and permanent impairment of one of the five senses in my left ear. Guess what?
Beautifully, intricately, delicately, and wonderfully, the Lord took all these things and manifested Himself in me.
The result? There were countless moments of exposure for Christ to shine through my experience into the world around me. In the last 15 years, hundreds of people got a chance to see Christ shining through me by the suffering moments I was given to endure. Don’t get me wrong… there was nothing fun about the hardships I walked in. The difference is, I turned to Jesus instead of turning away from Him. Instead of others seeing me, what they were really watching was Jesus. Each and every time when these things “pressed” me tight and flat as a pancake, what squished out was a little more Jesus (just like 2 Corinthians says), and it was noticed by the unsaved world around me.
So I challenge you once again. If you are that hurting soul who has let your grip on God’s hand slip away due to adversity, reach out and grab it again. I guarantee He will pull you into His embrace. Are you a person who hasn’t let go of God’s hand but are at the end of your rope, maybe not knowing which way to go now that you are sidelined? I encourage you to press into Him like never before and watch what He will do with and through your hardship. Are you a Christian who is faced with a life long injury or disability? God does not know, regard, or accept the word disability. Our weakness only gives way to glorify His name through His strength given to us. It may be that in your exact situation (disabled or not) He can use you to shine brighter for Him than you have ever known possible. Don't give up. Sidelines are only temporary anyways.
Don’t be sidelined by hardships. Instead, let God be manifest in you.
You got this!
Blessings,
Chuck Carr