Rely on Jesus, Not Stuff

Thursday, August 31, 2017

Galatians 3:13-14: Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”—so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.

This is it. This is the fundamental building block of our life with God through Jesus. Rely on Jesus so that you'll have a relationship with God. Rely on Jesus, who by His death on the cross and resurrection from the grave, killed and forgave the sin in us and raised us to a new life with Him, and live by means of faith. In this way, you have  life with God.

Now, does life with God help us deal with the loss of house, all the stuff in it, loss of time a work and, for some, loss of income? Does life with God through faith in what Jesus did, make my life "all better" and we live "happily ever after?"

Some say no.They say no because they surmise that life with God takes all their issues. And when they see that life with God doesn't make my life "happily ever after," they get mad at God for not fulfilling His promise. What they fail to realize, that faith in God and what Jesus did gives a joyous forever AND a joy and strength to deal with the tragedies of life in a sinful, sin filled, and sin corrupted creation.

When we believe in the work and promises of God, we perceive stuff in a radically different way. Do Christians grieve? Do Christians experience the loss of house, property, income, and the like? We do, definitely. Christians have to figure out what do do about all that we lose. AND we believe in a God that provides life, home, food, shelter, income, and the like all out of divine goodness and mercy. We also have a reality about us that knows the provision probably won't be the way that it was. There is a "new normal," that nothing will be the way it used to be.

Do the tragedies of life alter our faith and trust in God? We are tested, for sure. Temptation is also right there with the test that tries to pull us away from God. Do they alter our faith? NO, definitely NOT!

Our faith alters the way we look at tragedies. We grieve WITH HOPE and TRUST in the promise that God will and does provide. We trust God that our lives will be NEW and DIFFERENT. And that's okay for Christians. God, the Holy Spirit, bolster and strengthen our faith to trust You more fully, Amen.