Help for hurts, habits, & hang ups. Women's 12 Step Study Meetings by appointment. Call or text LaViva at 818-824-2019 or email outreach@burbanksda.com.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Monday, February 1, 2010
I Took the Challenge
Some time ago I heard a sermon about praising God through trials. I remember that the talk began innocently enough asking the question: What should a Christian do when things go wrong?
We already had a collective understanding that things can and will go bad for Christians. Having Jesus in my life doesn't inoculate me from tragedy. In fact, one of Christ's promises (if you want to call it a promise) is that we will have trouble. See John 3:16: "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." (NIV) The comforting part of this promise is that He has overcome the world and that in Him we can have peace.
So, as a Christian, I should expect trouble, but what should I do to have the peace He's talking about? Peace of mind is often an elusive goal I chase especially in troubled times, so I was listening when the pastor offered advice about what to do when things go wrong.
The answer was simple and not at all what I wanted to hear: Praise God. When things are good, praise God. When things go wrong, praise God. We were reminded about what Paul and Silas did in prison after being wrongly accused and whipped: They sang hymns to God! Check out Acts 16: 22-26: "The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose." (NIV)
At first I thought what I always think when I'm encouraged to fashion my idea of living life on life's terms after a Bible character: Well. That was then and this is now. I don't have the spiritual resources and wherewithal Paul did. God didn't manifest Himself in a special way to show me that I am special to Him and I have a role to play in His grand plan like He did with Paul.
Then I come clean: Those are all lies. God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Jesus promised that we have the same access to God that He has as God's Son! Certainly I have it at least as good as Paul did. After all, I've never been imprisoned for sharing Christ's message of love with others; I've never been beaten up for preaching God's grace. God has shown up in my life time and time again in miraculous ways to tell me He loves me, to save me from my own best plans, and to lead me in a life according to His purpose that is way beyond my wildest, drunken dreams.
So today I want to be like Paul. When people blame me for problems I didn't cause... When folks try to use me to meet their less than honorable goals... When I'm disappointed in the actions of others and myself... When tragedy visits (as I'm sure it will) I will praise God and revel in the peace of mind that is promised. When I praise God I count on the prison doors of my consciousness flying open and the chains that keep me from serenity coming loose.
Give it a try and let me know if you find any prison foundations shaken.
We already had a collective understanding that things can and will go bad for Christians. Having Jesus in my life doesn't inoculate me from tragedy. In fact, one of Christ's promises (if you want to call it a promise) is that we will have trouble. See John 3:16: "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." (NIV) The comforting part of this promise is that He has overcome the world and that in Him we can have peace.
So, as a Christian, I should expect trouble, but what should I do to have the peace He's talking about? Peace of mind is often an elusive goal I chase especially in troubled times, so I was listening when the pastor offered advice about what to do when things go wrong.
The answer was simple and not at all what I wanted to hear: Praise God. When things are good, praise God. When things go wrong, praise God. We were reminded about what Paul and Silas did in prison after being wrongly accused and whipped: They sang hymns to God! Check out Acts 16: 22-26: "The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose." (NIV)
At first I thought what I always think when I'm encouraged to fashion my idea of living life on life's terms after a Bible character: Well. That was then and this is now. I don't have the spiritual resources and wherewithal Paul did. God didn't manifest Himself in a special way to show me that I am special to Him and I have a role to play in His grand plan like He did with Paul.
Then I come clean: Those are all lies. God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Jesus promised that we have the same access to God that He has as God's Son! Certainly I have it at least as good as Paul did. After all, I've never been imprisoned for sharing Christ's message of love with others; I've never been beaten up for preaching God's grace. God has shown up in my life time and time again in miraculous ways to tell me He loves me, to save me from my own best plans, and to lead me in a life according to His purpose that is way beyond my wildest, drunken dreams.
So today I want to be like Paul. When people blame me for problems I didn't cause... When folks try to use me to meet their less than honorable goals... When I'm disappointed in the actions of others and myself... When tragedy visits (as I'm sure it will) I will praise God and revel in the peace of mind that is promised. When I praise God I count on the prison doors of my consciousness flying open and the chains that keep me from serenity coming loose.
Give it a try and let me know if you find any prison foundations shaken.
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