Toughen Up, Buttercup!

Several years ago, our middle daughter, Jamie, worked at the Pentagon for a man who was high ranking in the military. He had a saying he would use and it was “Toughen up, Buttercup!”

If you are working at the Pentagon, you probably got there by being pretty tough, as opposed to being a “wimp”! That phrase became something our family would laughingly refer to from time to time.

Recently, as I remembered this phrase, I thought how it might relate to us as believers. We face many battles and sometimes we find ourselves wanting to retreat! But I think now, more than ever before, it’s important for us to take a stand against the enemy that comes against us!

How do we do that? We fight with prayer and God’s Word. A daily prayer time will help us defeat the enemy. James 5:16 says, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”

We also need to have a time when we read and study God’s Word every day. I think it’s important to have verses memorized that we can quote throughout the day.

So, let’s stop retreating! Let’s be ready to defeat the enemy when he comes against us! In other words, “Toughen up, Buttercup!” We are in a battle, and with God’s help, we are going to win!