"Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. As Hebrews 2:10 says, “Everything belongs to God, and all things were created by his power”. The world that we live in belongs to God. It was created by Him. He is the maker, the owner, the creator. Nothing on this earth is our own, but all a gift from our Lord so that we might use these gifts to bring Him glory and honor. Sometimes, we don’t remember this. Sometimes, we think we deserve everything we have. That we are somehow entitled to have a happy life, nice things, good health. But none of that is mentioned in the bible. There are no places in which God states that as Christians we will somehow be separated and spared the misery of this Earth, our home, His creation. Our lives are not free from the sin that’s created from a world of free will. Bad things happen on this planet, both to people who do good and to people who do evil. No one is spared from it, and we shouldn’t be expected to be. As I grow in my relationship with the Lord, I can’t help but see how unworthy I am of His overwhelming love and mercy. And as I walk this path, growing closer to God and trying harder to do His will and live as He’s commanded, I find it even more difficult to be the Christian that I want to be. The great C.S. Lewis talks about this battle between knowing what is expected and actually living out that expectation: "No man knows how bad he is till he has tried very hard to be good. A silly idea is current that good people do not know what temptation means. This is an obvious lie. Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is. After all, you find the strength of the German army by fighting against it, not by giving in. You find out the strength of a wind by trying to walk against it not by lying down. A man who gives into the temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later. That is why bad people, in one sense, know very little about badness. They have lived a sheltered life by always giving in. We never find out the strength of the evil impulse inside us until we try to fight it; and Christ, because He was the only man who never yielded to temptation, is also the only man who knows to the full what temptation really means - the only complete realist." So what’s my point? My point is that none of us are worthy of anything that we have. Sure, we might do great things. We might feed the hungry and shelter the homeless. We might go out and attempt to do God’s work with our own hands. We might truly do everything within our abilities to do as God asks us, but even then we will fall short, we will sin, we will fail, and we will remain imperfect. We are not designed to be perfect, not if we are also designed to have free will. And with free will comes sin and shame and sorrow. But with it also comes love and mercy and forgiveness. So we exist here on this earth with things God has allowed us to have in our lives. I am extremely fortunate with what God has given me. I’m relatively healthy, I have a husband that I was able to meet and fall in love with early in life, I have two beautiful and (to me) perfect children. My parents are always and have always been supportive of me. I live in a country where I am free to speak my mind, free to vote, free to follow my God. I have access to healthcare, I have cash in my wallet, I have a nice home, a reliable car. Most things I’ve wanted in life (marriage, a good career, a family), I’ve gotten. All of these things God has allowed me to have, but NOT because I deserve them--I absolutely do not deserve them. I have them because I was lucky to be born in this space, in this time, in this place. Nothing that I have truly belongs to me, and I thank God everyday for sharing His beautiful creation with me. I try to use what I’ve been given for God’s purpose so that He might be glorified through what it is He’s allowed me to have. I praise Him and I thank Him for His goodness, His mercy, and His love. But recently, I’ve had to go through some of the hardest trials I’ve faced. I’ve asked and pleaded with God to spare me from going through this. I’ve bargained with Him. I’ve asked Him what it is I’ve done to deserve this. Why me, Lord? Why do I have to be the one to go through this? But why not me? I am not entitled to anything in this life. The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. All of creation is His and at any moment He is free to take back what is His, regardless of how I might feel as a consequence. And yet, He is still good. He is still merciful. He still became human, He still suffered on the cross, and He still gave me the most powerful gift that He ever could: hope in everlasting life and forgiveness for all of my unworthiness. So, tonight, as I walk through the fire, I praise Him. I thank Him for His goodness, His mercy, and His love. I’ll look at this experience and still try to glorify Him through it. I’ll take my saddness, my worry, my heartache and I’ll use it for His purpose, because regardless of what He’s taken, He’s given me infinitely more. I was never promised a life without misery. I was promised to always be held, to always be loved, to always be forgiven, and that I would never be alone. I was promised a Father who will never leave. And He hasn’t. And He won’t. “I know you’re able, and I know you can save through the fire with your mighty hand. But even if you don’t, my hope is you alone.” -MercyMe, Even If Isaiah 43:2 When you pass the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. Isaiah 54:10 Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed, says the Lord, who has compassion on you. Deuteronomy 31:8 The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.
1 Comment
Teresa
8/16/2018 02:50:58 pm
We are saved by faith - keep asking for help and he will answer.
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
Sadie JensenI'm a follower of Christ seeking to know Him and live like Him. If you'd like to learn more, read my blog post about my faith journey here. Archives
November 2018
Categories |