August 7, 2008
Battles
I
struggle a bit with the method of "selling" the gospel that emphasizes
that "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life." My
struggle is not because the statement is false, because it is true. My struggle
is that it only tells half the story and paints a false picture of the Christian
life.
The
Christian life beats being non-Christian hands down every time. Christ gives us
blessings; hope; joy; comfort; peace; freedom and more. God does love us and
does indeed have a wonderful plan for our lives. The problem is that that plan
doesn't always involve soft kisses and roses.
The
Christian walk, done faithfully, can be hard work. We are in a battle for the
eternal souls of millions of people. We are in a struggle to become more Christ
like in character and set aside our sin filled ways. We are warring to set aside
our self centered nature and learn to love even our enemies.
Jesus
said, "In this world you will have trouble". When he spoke those words
He was speaking to believers not unbelievers.
Jesus
can heal us, restore us, bless us and more. The truth is though that doing so
may not be what is best for us. God is far more interested in our holiness than
our temporary comfort. There will be lots of time for soft kisses and roses in
glory.
Romans
5:1-5 NIV
Therefore,
since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our
Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace
in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only
so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering
produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope
does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by
the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
"We
can also rejoice in our sufferings." What a radical statement. It defies
everything the world teaches. It seems illogical and contrary to reason in many
ways, yet we know that it is true because it is from the lips of our Lord.
Sometimes
we struggle in life because God is disciplining us to develop our character even
further. Somehow we often miss that concept in our picture of “gentle Jesus
meek and mild."
Deuteronomy
8:1-5 NIV
Be
careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and
increase and may enter and possess the land that the LORD promised on oath to
your forefathers. Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the
desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what
was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you,
causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor
your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but
on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. Your clothes did not wear
out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. Know then in your
heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you.
Discipline
is not just an "Old Testament" concept. It is New Covenant as well.
Hebrews
12:1-13 NIV
Therefore,
since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off
everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run
with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the
author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the
cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not
grow weary and lose heart. In your struggle against sin, you have not yet
resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten that word
of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of
the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the
Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a
son."
Endure
hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not
disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes
discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we
have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How
much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers
disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us
for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at
the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness
and peace for those who have been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen your
feeble arms and weak knees. "Make level paths for your feet," so that
the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.
Fortunately
for us, Jesus does not just tell us that "In this world you will have
trouble". He says (John 16:33) "I
have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you
will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
Just
because you going through a rough time, do not think you have been forgotten by
God. In this world we will have troubles but God still has plans for us and
Jesus is victorious.
No
matter what your day brings today, trust Jesus and rejoice.
There
is no such thing as a problem or trouble that does not have a gift with it. We
have problems because we need their gifts.
Darrel
Mason