A parable is told of a farmer who owned an old mule. The mule fell into the farmer's well. The farmer heard the mule braying or whatever mules do when they fall into wells.
After carefully assessing the situation, the farmer sympathized with the mule, but decided that neither the mule nor the well was worth the trouble of saving. Instead, he called his neighbors together and told them what had happened...and enlisted them to help haul dirt to bury the old mule in the well and put him out of his misery.
Initially, the old mule was hysterical! But as the farmer and his neighbors continued shoveling and the dirt hit his back...a thought struck him. It suddenly dawned on him that every time a shovel load of dirt landed on his back...HE SHOULD SHAKE IT OFF AND STEP UP! This he did, blow after blow.
"Shake it off and step up...shake it off and step up...shake it off and step up!" he repeated to encourage himself. No matter how painful the blows, or distressing the situation seemed the old mule fought panic and just kept right on SHAKING IT OFF AND STEPPING UP!
You're right! It wasn't long before the old mule, battered and exhausted, STEPPED TRIUMPHANTLY OVER THE WALL OF THAT WELL! What seemed like it would bury him, actually blessed him...all because of the manner in which he handled his adversity.
That's life! If we face our problems and respond to them positively, and refuse to give in to panic, bitterness, or self-pity...The adversities that come along to bury us usually have within them the potential to benefit and bless us!
Remember that forgiveness, faith, prayer, praise and hope...all are excellent ways to SHAKE IT OFF AND STEP UP out of the wells in which we find ourselves!

Scripture Text: 2Cor 4:7 (KJV) But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 8 [We are] troubled on every side, yet not distressed; [we are] perplexed, but not in despair; 9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 11 For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. 12 So then death worketh in us, but life in you. 13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak; 14 Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present [us] with you. 15 For all things [are] for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. 16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward [man] is renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding [and] eternal weight of glory; 18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen [are] temporal; but the things which are not seen [are] eternal.

What can you do when you're down and someone is trying to bury you? When the world throws mud do you make mud pies?

Some possible responses to problems, afflictions, and troubles in this life: this is what the apostle Paul could have done to those who continued to afflict him.

1. Go with the flow. Just go along with it and don't fight it. Coast along through this life and don’t make waves. Just remember that there is only one way to coast and that is down hill.
2. Get Revenge/ throw back. Paul could have tried to hurt those who had been hurting him. He could have thrown rocks. He could have planned their death. The donkey could have tried to hurt those who were burying him.
3. Just Give Up and Die. Paul could have quit and died. He continued on to serve the Lord even when that meant serving God from a jail cell. He wrote letters to the churches which are now our N. T.
4. Curse and Blame God. Get mad at God for allowing these things to come into your life. Paul gave up everything for God and then He allowed these problems and persecutions to come into his life.

1. Jars of Clay; Realize who you are and Who God is. Don't think too highly of yourself and too low of God.
2. Treasure the Power: Trust God for whatever comes your way. Allow God to continue to work through you even in the midst of troublesome times. Troublesome times are here, filling men's hearts with fear.
3. Look toward the Unseen: Depend on the fact that there are aspects of this life that can't be seen with the physical eye. Give your life to God no matter what may come your way.
4. Persevere: Shake it off and keep on keeping on with God. Keep a positive attitude that has it's foundation on the truth of God.

"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company, a church, a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past -- we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude -- I am convinced that life is ten percent what happens to me and ninety percent how I react to it. And so it is with you -- we are in charge of our Attitudes." -- Dr. Charles Swindoll

5. The power is in us in Christ: Do you have the power within you? Do you have the treasure that Paul described?