We spend so much of our lives living in defeat, never remembering that Christ has already won the victory for us. We get tired of fighting the battles and give up without ever realizing that the battle was over before it even started. Imagine an army too tired to fight another battle. Suddenly they are informed the enemy has surrendered. Instead of marching in and securing the victory, they remain wallowing in their fatigue and let their opponent know that instead of declaring victory, they are going to concede defeat because they’re just too tired to go on. It’s a ridiculous scenario, but it is the way many followers of Jesus are living their lives every day.
Fear
New Chapters
New chapters are always exciting. I can’t count the number of nights I’ve stayed up too late because I couldn’t wait to see what the next chapter would bring in the book I was reading. There is an excitement in wondering where the story will lead next. What unexpected twists might we encounter when we turn the page? Our life is an ever unfolding story, and just like a great book, new chapters present exciting opportunities if we only dare to turn the page. New chapters are like new beginnings. We have put the previous ones behind us and there’s no going back. We must move forward to discover how things will play out.
Nothing to Fear
An old song has been stuck in my head over the last day, causing great conviction and peace all at once. I often find myself in the throes of these dichotic emotions, so I’m quite comfortable living in such unusual tensions! The song that has been niggling in my brain is “Reckless Faith”, by Rick Cua. While the entire lyric is great, the piece that has lodged itself in my mind is “While others play it safe/ Give me reckless faith”. I love that. What if we all had a healthy dose of reckless faith? What if we were totally unafraid and refused to play it safe?
Surviving Trials
Life is full of the unexpected. We plan our lives in one direction when out of the blue everything changes. We can’t control every circumstance around us. Our own lack of discipline leaves us open to failures we would have never imagined. Dreams die, hopes are dashed, and everything we once had figured out no longer makes sense. Such is the plight of practically every soul who has ever walked our planet. Somewhere along the line, despite our best intentions, our plans go awry. These are the moments that prove whether or not Christ is truly the Lord of our lives.
Comfort in the Storms
My parents have a German Shepherd named Gabe that is absolutely petrified of thunderstorms. Recently when dog-sitting for them, I found myself cradling him while lying on the floor of a closet. I’ve never seen a dog shake so badly in all my life. The fear is irrational of course. No matter how loud the thunder, it can never injure Gabe. No matter how hard it rains, the water cannot reach into the upstairs closet where Gabe is trying to seek comfort. Even if the winds begin to howl and rattle the house, my arms are wrapped around him, protecting him against whatever will come. Despite all of this Gabe still shakes uncontrollably. It reminded me of how fearful we tend to be despite having the arms of the all powerful God wrapped around us.