What To Do When Worst Comes to Worst

From From Where I Sit by Michael Hyatt, Presdient & CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers.

He writes that in whatever situation you find yourself, you must do two things:

1. Confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they may be.
   
   
2. Retain faith that you will prevail in the end, regardless of the difficulties.

This is what author Jim Collins refers to as “The Stockdale Paradox.” In his book, Good to Great, he tells the story of Admiral James Stockdale, who was a prisoner of war for eight years during the Vietnam War.

After his release, a reporter asked Admiral Stockdale, “How in the world did you survive eight years in a prisoner of war camp?”

He replied,

I never lost faith in the end of the story. I never doubted not only that we would get out, but also that I would prevail in the end and turn the experience into the defining event in my life, which, in retrospect, I would not trade.

The reporter then asked, “Who didn’t make it out?” Admiral Stockdale replied,

Oh, that’s easy, the optimists. They were the ones who said, “We’re going to be out by Christmas.” And Christmas would come and go. Then they’d say, “We’re going to be out by Easter.” And Easter would come, and Easter would go. And then Thanksgiving, and then it would be Christmas again. And they died of a broken heart.”

This sounds a lot like repentance and faith in Christ.