TOUGH TIMES DON’T LAST. TOUGH PEOPLE DO.

A pastor was invited to speak to a group of farmers who lost almost everything because a severe weather condition hit their region. After all the exhortation and sharing from his personal experience, he brought home the main message of encouragement: Tough times don’t last, tough people do! What he was talking about is perseverance—the ability to hang in there until the storm is over.

Paul exhorts us to rejoice in our sufferings “because we know that suffering produces perseverance” (Romans 5:3-4, NIV). The tough times we encounter shape and strengthen us as an individual. As long as the individual is equipped, there will always be opportunities to bounce back.

Tough Times Don’t Last
Tough times have always been a part of our lives. The nature of tough times could be relational, spiritual, financial, emotional or physical. They may stay with us for a while but never for long. The cold and lifeless winter will give way to the new hope and vitality of spring. The flood that washes away our dreams will subside, offering us a new landscape to recreate. As bleak as the situation may be, there will always be new prospects where new opportunities lie, if only we hang in there!

Tough People Do
Tough people believe that tough times will come to pass.
Tough times tend to upset our equilibrium, blur our vision, create turmoil in our emotions, sag our shoulders and drag us into the pit of despair. Tough people see with the eyes of faith, trusting in the hope of the Lord, the confident expectation that He is in control and that things are not over unless God says it is over!

Tough people look deep within themselves for untapped resources.
We often operate on cruise control when things are going smoothly. But tough times put intense pressure on us and in order to withstand it, we have to desperately search for resources unknown to us otherwise. It forces us to dig deeper into ourselves to find any other areas that have not been tapped into. You may be surprised by the unexpected potentials and resourcesyou’ll find in there!

Tough people demonstrate resilience
To downgrade our lifestyle and comfort level can be difficult to adjust for many of us. Most people would refuse to lower their expectations on what is being offered to them in the tough times. The pilot always advises the passengers to buckle their seatbelts tightly when the airplane goes through turbulence. You are restrained for a good reason—to keep you safe. Tough people learn to restrain accordingly while waiting for the best time to soar again.

This year, as we find ourselves surrounded by tough situations or get into one, remember this: TOUGH TIMES DON’T LAST. TOUGH PEOPLE DO.

Principal's Words
Dr Albert Ting, Principal Singapore Bible College