Hangin' in

Andy Griffith

“And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance.” Romans 5:3

Allow me to pause and speak directly to your heart, if you will. At this point we’re facing a crossroad, and anytime you approach a crossroad, it’s good to have a word of encouragement.

When Andy Griffith, star of the classic television program that bore his name, entered his fifties, he found it increasingly difficult to find work in Hollywood, and his personal finances became tighter and tighter. He wrote in Guideposts that finally he and his wife, Cindy, decided things would be easier if they moved from Los Angeles back to Andy’s home state of North Carolina; so they put their home up for sale and waited for a buyer. Unfortunately, the real estate market was down, and no one gave them a decent offer. Months passed, and Andy grew depressed.Then one day the Lord gave Cindy an insight. “Maybe it’s a good thing we couldn’t sell the house,” she said. “Maybe it was God showing us grace. If we moved to North Carolina now, you might indeed never work again. What we need to do is stay here and stoke the fire.”And stoke the fire they did. Day after day they went together to the office of the talent agency that represented Andy. They sat in the lobby,chatted with agents, and went with them to lunch. Eventually the work started to come in: four TV movies that year, including the pilot for Matlock, a show that ended up running for nine years.

Griffith stuck with it, thanks to his wife’s perceptiveness. And the results speak for themselves, as he went on to further cement his status as a legendary actor and all-round good guy. It took commitment to perseverance, however, before he reached the other side.

Is it any different when dealing with our efforts to overcome the soulish nature? Getting to the point where our entire being is completely spirit-dominated—going from being a psuchikos to a pneumatikos—takes commitment. It takes perseverance. And it certainly takes the patience and grace to continue through the times when we fall back to our soul’s tendencies. But God is determined to see you completely controlled by Him—with your spirit guiding and your soul serving.

He will not fail in His mission. He will see you through to completion. Do you have a part in it? You bet. Can you sabotage the job? Unfortunately, yes, since God will not force His transformation in you. But as long as you purpose in your heart that our Maker will have His way, you are in the cocoon. As long as you allow His Spirit to have its way and grow in influence through your life, you will fly. It’s time to become a butterfly.

It’s time to see the blueprints become reality.

It’s time to become you!

Excerpt from Roll Away Your Stone