Face the Truth: Eat your Frog
‘If you fail under pressure, your strength is too small’ - Prov. 24:10 [NLT]
Recently, I had a chat with a Christian brother at the Department of Human Kinetics Education, University of Ilorin, Nigeria who is a fledgling writer. He has been working on a particular book for over two years and He almost got to the final stage when he had problem with the computer so he had to start formatting the work all over again which according to him will require him investing quality time to attain excellence. At this point, he was disturbed, discouraged and ready to abandon the work. After everything he said, I didn’t know when these words left my mouth: ‘Face the truth, eat your frog’. Immediately I remember one of Brian Tracy’s books with the topic ‘Eat that Frog’. You remember that book with the picture of a big frog right at the front page of the book.
In the same vein, we examined a seemingly rhetorical question in our devotional yesterday (you can re-read it again). The Scripture we read places emphasis on endurance and perseverance in everything we do. Life is about strength! That you are alive today is due to the fact that there is still enough strength in your spirit, soul and body that you can survive with. So strength is required in order to carry our life requirements. No wonder John the Baptist had to stay in the desert to develop and accumulate strength needed for the destiny ahead of him. Jesus Christ although son of God had to wait for thirty three years before He came into lime light. What were they doing you may ask? They were gathering strength, developing the spirit man, giving strength to every faculty through communion with God, daily responsibilities and living the life that their destinies require. Imagine the way it was recorded in the bible of John the Baptist: ‘And the child grew and became strong in spirit...’ (Luke 1:80a) The word of emphasis for us here is ‘became’ which means that it was a process, a gradual process he undertook before he got to that point of being strong.
The essence of bringing Jesus Christ and John the Baptist on board is for us to understand that it is important that we awake and gather strength needed for tomorrow. We can’t afford not to face the truth that we are weak; we can’t be oblivious to the fact that there are certain heights that we need to attain which require strength and even might put us under serious pressure. For instance, that book you are writing or about to write, that career that you have to pursue or pursing presently, that education that seems confusing and host of other responsibilities require strength and you have to face it, work it out all require strength. That frog that we refer to here is that thing that is ugly or you are not comfortable with but which you must attend to in order to fulfil your purpose.
Since we have identified that everything requires strength and that where ever you are hooked now simply means that is where your strength can reach, then, how can we acquire strength to carry us through in life? How can we develop strength needed for the journey ahead so that whenever any frog appear, we can eat it and even digest it. We have an example in the bible and that is Jabez. Jabez was just introduced just like that in these words: ‘Jabez was more honourable that his brothers’. His mother named him Jabez because she bore him in pain. (Read 1 Chron. 4:9-10). But Jabez didn’t allow that to wane him down, he never allowed that to scare him, he received strength from God and eat his frog. He faced the truth and called unto God. Remember God’s word that ‘I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me...’ (Phil. 4:13) and it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose’ (Phil. 2:13) so we have to rely on God and trust Him.
Furthermore, let’s examine the life of Jabez. The next few words revealed Jabez’s reaction during his own time: ‘Jabez cried out to God of Israel...’ Let’s face the reality, when our strength fail, we always run to somebody or someone and the truth is our strength can’t be sufficient at every point in time. The question is this, in times like this, who do you run to? For Jabez, he cried to God of Israel, he knew who could save him and help him out of his predicament. Who do you run to for help? When your strength fail and it seems the world is coming to an end, when it seems you have no strength to continue that project or the storms of life overshadow you or that relationship is about to collapse or all weight is on you, who do you run to? From who do you solicit for support? For Jabez, he knew that only God could help me and he ran to God. Psalm 121 holds one of the most prominent and resound cry for help. The Psalmist knew that his help comes from God who made the heaven and the earth and he ran to Him. Do you know Jesus? Does He live in your heart?
Understand that recognizing and knowing who to run to is important but what makes this worthwhile is really running to that person for help. Running to that person for help takes humility because a man that doesn’t humble himself can’t receive help. Even if the help comes, he is not humble enough to recognize the help. Just like Jabez, recognize that running away is not the solution to lack of strength to continue a race. Facing the giant in the strength and wisdom of the Lord is the solution. To overcome that situation, you need to stay there and find solution to that problem.
Spiritual exercises develop the spirit man. As we pray every day both individually and corporately, as we speak in other tongues as the Holy Spirit gives utterance, as we study God’s word and apply its principles to our lives, as we live a life of holiness and word of the Lord, and as we continually pursue God, we are building strength for the journey ahead. Isaiah 40:29-31 speaks of the benefit of waiting upon the Lord – renewing of strength.
Also, as we learn from our past mistakes, as we live in the wisdom of God, as we develop ourselves and prepare for tomorrow’s opportunities, as we establish excellence in whatever we do, we are building strength and stamina for tomorrow. As we learn to think through, observe and be sensitive in order to proffer solutions to problems, we are building strength for the journey ahead. We are developing the right skills that will help us run the race ahead of us in full speed and agility. Therefore, next time when you are faced with any challenge, don’t be in a hurry to leave and dash out. First and foremost, evaluate things, speak to God about it and think deep, look into it. Choose to endure and tell yourself to face the truth and eat that frog that is right in front of you. God bless you.
