I haven’t been writing much lately. My mother always said, if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all. With the world circumstances swirling in my head, the best I could do was hold on tight and try to deny the pain in my gut. Who wants to hear anything more about that? Not me and not you, I’m sure.
I wanted to write something fun and uplifting. Talk about my haircut, my skin care routine, the new diet supplements I’ve been trying and how they are working. But is any of that even appropriate as people lose their lives to a rogue virus or racial injustice? I would hate to be a comedian right now. They say offense is the essence of comedy, but offense in 2020 is so deep and hurtful that it can’t be an easy gig. It’s all too fresh and close to the surface.
On the other hand, we all need to be lighthearted and to enjoy our lives as much as we can even now. And there is still much to enjoy.
What I sense for this moment, however, is that the time for superficial change is over. Hair styles, nutrition, exercise, all have their place and self-care is an important part of a healthy mind set and lifestyle, but those things won’t sustain us in times like these. Changes in our appearance and even our health won’t fix the problems in our world. We need a change of heart.
The fun and uplifting news I have for you today is the Good News of Jesus Christ.
We don’t always see the Bible message as good news. So many rules! So many chances to mess up! There’s a misconception that God, of whom Jesus is the exact representation, is out to get us–just waiting for us to fail so the lightning bolts can fly! Some even say our current scourge is His judgment for our sins. Not true. Jesus gave up His position as a member of the Godhead and took on the body and life of a man. He was brutally tortured and killed as the punishment for our rebellion against God. Because of that there is NO CONDEMNATION for those who accept His gift of right standing with God (righteousness).
Hebrews 10:12 (NLT) states, “But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand.” Biblical scholars agree that this signifies His work is done. His sacrifice completed the work necessary to secure our salvation. That’s wonderful, but there’s more! “For he [God] raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus” Ephesians 2:6 (NLT). If you have accepted Christ’s sacrifice for your sins, you’ve done all you need to do! In the Spirit, you are sitting down, too! Hallelujah!
As His children we are loved deeply by God and He has promised never to leave or forsake us. That love never changes! Nothing political or circumstantial about it. He is not surprised by anything that is going on. It hasn’t changed His good plans for my life—or yours (Jeremiah 29:11).
Yes. We live in a world full of trouble. But we don’t have to worry. We who believe in Jesus have already died and our lives are hidden in Him . This world with all its problems, is not our home. Let’s follow the advice of Colossians 3:2 (NLT) and “think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth,” “for our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever” (2 Corinthians 4:17 NLT).
I’m still fretting about my hair, my wrinkles, the wiggly bits under my arms. Make no mistake about it! Life goes on, and that’s exactly the point! But I also want to be aware that the days are short and no one is promised tomorrow. Instead of being afraid and hiding away from the world, I want to take joy in loving more, helping more, and telling everyone I can about the reason I can be bold in a time like this!
If you have questions or want to know more, definitely let me know and I’ll be happy to share more!
Cool Like Christ 