Courage is a middle English word dating back to around 1300. It’s French and Latin derivatives are both rooted in the word “heart”. It’s defined on www.dictionary.com as “the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear; bravery”.
Courage is a quality normally reserved for soldiers, firefighters, and police officers. From our earliest days, we are often taught, under the very real guise of caution, to not be courageous. We’re told things like “don't take unnecessary risks… Don't draw attention to yourself in public… Don't talk to strangers… Keep an eye out for suspicious people… Stay safe.” Not that any of those are invalid concerns, but they tend to work against the idea of courage. But as I sit here thinking this afternoon I’m confronted with the thought that being a disciple, a Christ-follower, takes courage, especially in the times in which we live.
Everyone wants courage as evidenced by a wikihow article I found entitled “How to have courage: 5 steps”. The article states these 5 principles lead to courage:
1. Do one little thing outside your comfort zone every day
2. Believe in yourself
3. Create some goals for each day
4. Have a good attitude
5. Don’t hesitate
While these are positive steps that might make you a better person, I’m not sure they get at the idea that God had in mind when in Joshua 1 He told Joshua to “be of good courage”. I like John Piper’s definition of Christian courage. He states, “Christian courage is the willingness to say and do the right thing regardless of the earthly cost”. The bible is filled with saints that serve as examples of this type courage.
• Noah – it took courage to build a boat when no one had ever seen rain and he was nowhere near water. It took courage for him to faithfully proclaim God’s coming judgment to a society that mocked him.
• David – it took courage to face a giant named Goliath with no visible weapon save a sling and 5 stones. But knowing that God was with him gave him the courage to do so.
• Gideon – it took courage to face as Judges 7 says an army “as numerous as locusts … as the sand by the seashore in multitude” with only 300 men and no weapons. Gideon did have the knowledge that “If God is for us, who shall be against us.”
• Daniel – it took courage to refuse to eat of the kings table even though “everyone was doing it”.
• Esther – it took courage to go before the king without an invitation. To do so was risking sudden death. But she knew God had raised her up “for such a time as this”
So here’s what I’m getting at for you and me. Like Noah let us faithfully do whatever God has called us to, even if that means being ridiculed by those of the world. Like David, whatever “giant” you are facing today, be of good courage for God has said that He will “never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). Like Gideon some of you face huge odds that seemingly are against you today. Remember that God does His best work when we get to the end of ourselves and simply say “God if this is going to happen, it’s going to take You doing it.” Like Daniel, some of you need to stand strong today against the temptation to give in to societal pressures. Do what is right, not necessarily what is popular. Like Esther, some of you need to have the courage today to come before the “King” … not that it takes courage to come to God as He openly invites us into His presence. But you need the courage to come clean with Him and then accept His making you clean through forgiveness. Be courageous today!
Showing posts with label faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label faith. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Faith in the middle of the storm
The 30th President of the United States was Calvin Coolidge. Coolidge was known as a man of few words and when he spoke he was often blunt and to the point. On one occasion a female journalist told the President, "Mr. President, I made a $100 bet with another journalist that I could get you to say more than 3 words. Would you care to comment?" Coolidge smiled at the young lady and coolly said, "You lose". That's how he got the nickname he carried with him to his death ... “Silent Cal”.
I tell you that because there are times in our lives when we think of God as “Silent God”. Amidst painful trials I know I’ve often cried out “Why, God? Why me? Where are you?” and to my dismay heaven often seems to be silent.
If there was ever a poster child for suffering and heartache it would have to be Job in the Old Testament. Job was a healthy wealthy family man with 10 children and a load of livestock. He was also a righteous man; the most righteous on earth. Satan goes to God and accuses Him of buying Job’s worship. Satan says if Job was not blessed so much he’d turn on God. God allows Satan to do anything to Job except take his life. In a short period of time Jobs children all die in a storm, all of his livestock is stolen, his wife tells him to “curse God and die”, and his 3 best friends ask him what great sin is in his life that he hasn’t repented of yet. Through it all Job’s faith BENT but it never BROKE.
I think there are 4 insights that we can learn from the life of Job when our life is in turmoil.
#1 – There’s more going on around us than we can see. Job had no idea of the conversation that took place in heaven but as readers of the scriptures we get the benefit of seeing both scenes unfold. It’s kind of like when we are watching a movie, we are only seeing a small slice of what all is happening. The directors make sure we don’t see things like the lights, assistants holding microphones, the studio. What we are seeing is mere snippets of our life. We see some of the present and remember some of the past but God sees the future and what He’s doing in our life.
#2 – God’s desire is for us to have a personal relationship with Him. I love the fact that in the conversation with Satan it’s God who brings up the name of Job. God loves Job and is proud of His creation. I get the sense it’s almost like a grandparent asking if they’ve showed you a picture recently of their grandchild. God knew not only Job’s name but knew his heart as well. When God looks at you or me he doesn’t see us as a social security number or taxpayer id # … He sees us personally and loves us all the same.
#3 – We need to remember that Satan actively assaults God’s servants. When God asks Satan where he’s been he says he’s been “walking to and fro on the earth.” Peter equated him as a lion seeking those he may devour. Satan actively, aggressively, and continually works to get people to doubt there is a God and that He loves them.
#4 – Genuine faith will sustain you through times of trouble. The bible affirms the fact that our faith is often tested. During these times of trials in our lives the type of faith we have is revealed. I think there are 3 types of faith and I’d be less than honest if I didn’t admit that at times each type has been found in my life. First there’s what I call “fair weather faith”. This faith functions best when the sun is shining and everything in life is going the way you think it should. Those with fair weather faith typically turn on and question God at the first sign of trouble. The second type of faith is what I call “foul weather faith.” It’s the opposite of fair weather faith. Rather than praise God only when the sun is signing, they only turn to God when things go south. Here we tend to try and bargain with God, “God if you will do ______, then I will serve You.” Then when things start to go better we forget about the Lord until the next time things go bad. After 9/11 we saw a lot of “foul weather faithers”. They were in church for a few weeks and when things settled down they were gone again. Finally there is “all weather faith.” This faith says “I will praise the Lord no matter what comes my way.” That’s not where Job started but it is where he ended up. In Job 13:15 we read, “Though He (God) slay me, yet will I trust Him.”
So is the sun shining in your life? Are the storm clouds gathering? What kind of faith do you think you have right now? I wish I could tell you mine was always “all weather faith” but alas my faith is a work in progress.
I tell you that because there are times in our lives when we think of God as “Silent God”. Amidst painful trials I know I’ve often cried out “Why, God? Why me? Where are you?” and to my dismay heaven often seems to be silent.
If there was ever a poster child for suffering and heartache it would have to be Job in the Old Testament. Job was a healthy wealthy family man with 10 children and a load of livestock. He was also a righteous man; the most righteous on earth. Satan goes to God and accuses Him of buying Job’s worship. Satan says if Job was not blessed so much he’d turn on God. God allows Satan to do anything to Job except take his life. In a short period of time Jobs children all die in a storm, all of his livestock is stolen, his wife tells him to “curse God and die”, and his 3 best friends ask him what great sin is in his life that he hasn’t repented of yet. Through it all Job’s faith BENT but it never BROKE.
I think there are 4 insights that we can learn from the life of Job when our life is in turmoil.
#1 – There’s more going on around us than we can see. Job had no idea of the conversation that took place in heaven but as readers of the scriptures we get the benefit of seeing both scenes unfold. It’s kind of like when we are watching a movie, we are only seeing a small slice of what all is happening. The directors make sure we don’t see things like the lights, assistants holding microphones, the studio. What we are seeing is mere snippets of our life. We see some of the present and remember some of the past but God sees the future and what He’s doing in our life.
#2 – God’s desire is for us to have a personal relationship with Him. I love the fact that in the conversation with Satan it’s God who brings up the name of Job. God loves Job and is proud of His creation. I get the sense it’s almost like a grandparent asking if they’ve showed you a picture recently of their grandchild. God knew not only Job’s name but knew his heart as well. When God looks at you or me he doesn’t see us as a social security number or taxpayer id # … He sees us personally and loves us all the same.
#3 – We need to remember that Satan actively assaults God’s servants. When God asks Satan where he’s been he says he’s been “walking to and fro on the earth.” Peter equated him as a lion seeking those he may devour. Satan actively, aggressively, and continually works to get people to doubt there is a God and that He loves them.
#4 – Genuine faith will sustain you through times of trouble. The bible affirms the fact that our faith is often tested. During these times of trials in our lives the type of faith we have is revealed. I think there are 3 types of faith and I’d be less than honest if I didn’t admit that at times each type has been found in my life. First there’s what I call “fair weather faith”. This faith functions best when the sun is shining and everything in life is going the way you think it should. Those with fair weather faith typically turn on and question God at the first sign of trouble. The second type of faith is what I call “foul weather faith.” It’s the opposite of fair weather faith. Rather than praise God only when the sun is signing, they only turn to God when things go south. Here we tend to try and bargain with God, “God if you will do ______, then I will serve You.” Then when things start to go better we forget about the Lord until the next time things go bad. After 9/11 we saw a lot of “foul weather faithers”. They were in church for a few weeks and when things settled down they were gone again. Finally there is “all weather faith.” This faith says “I will praise the Lord no matter what comes my way.” That’s not where Job started but it is where he ended up. In Job 13:15 we read, “Though He (God) slay me, yet will I trust Him.”
So is the sun shining in your life? Are the storm clouds gathering? What kind of faith do you think you have right now? I wish I could tell you mine was always “all weather faith” but alas my faith is a work in progress.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Words of the Resurrected Christ
Many preachers have preached about the “7 last words of the cross.” These were not literally only 7 words but rather the 7 things the Lord said from the cross. They were each words of significance. In these seven statements Jesus said things that because of the message they convey remain important to us today. He made statements like “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing,” “Today you will be with Me in paradise,” and “It is finished.” I thought because we are approaching Resurrection Sunday it might be good to consider the 7 words after the resurrection as I find them equally important in the message they speak.
1. John 20:15 “Woman, why are you weeping?” – It’s interesting that Jesus does not take away the woman’s tears but rather simply asks why she is crying. In this life there will be heartache and the Lord never promises to take those things away that cause us to weep. But He rather says He will be with us and see us through the difficult days of this life, that we can bring to Him those things that break our hearts. But we know a day is coming (Revelation 21:4) when He will wipe away all tears from our eyes.
2. John 20:16 “Mary” – Now you might be tempted to question what’s so important about the fact He calls Mary by name. Here it is are you ready? He KNOWS your name! You are not just a number to Him. You are a person of great value … He was willing to go to the cross for you. And just as He knew Mary individually after the resurrection so I Believe He knows us and we will know one another in heaven.
3. John 20:17 “Go to My brethren” – She was to carry the message of the resurrection to others. That should serve to remind us that it’s the resurrection that makes the difference. Many so-called “gods” have died, but only One came back to life … the Lord Jesus. The resurrection shows there is hope beyond the grave; that this life is not all there is. What a message to carry to a world groping in darkness.
4. John 20:21 “Peace to you” – When the Lord offers peace to us we get peace with God as well as the peace of God. Our sins are forgiven and we are transformed from “children of wrath” and “enemies of God” to joint-heirs with Jesus Christ, adopted into the Father’s family. And because we have the One called the “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6) living inside of us in the form of the Holy Spirit, we can know the peace of God in the most trying of times.
5. John 20:21 “As the Father has sent Me, I also send you” – Jesus said in Luke 19:10 that He came to “seek and to save that which was lost.” In Mark 10:45 He states He came “not to be served but to serve and to give His life a ransom for the many.” I think clearly the Lord has sent us to those that are lost to point them to Him as the way out of their darkness. In a world consumed with trying to ascend to the top, let us be the hands and feet of Christ; not looking for folks to serve us but rather for those we can serve.
6. John 20:29 – Is the passage where the Risen Lord appears to His disciples. Thomas, likely verbalizing what many felt in their heart said “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” So when the Lord appears He speaks those exact words and invites Thomas to do just that. Then He looks into Thomas’ eyes and says “Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” Thomas in the midst of his doubts met the Lord. I think even when we doubt, if we earnestly seek Him, He comes to us in very real ways and removes all doubt and fear.
7. John 20:29 “Blessed are those who have not yet seen and yet have believed” – This is a word to those of us alive today. We have not seen, but rather we simply come to Him by “faith”. Ephesians 2 reminds that it is by faith we are saved.
Let’s go back to the words of the pre-crucifixion Jesus. I find it interesting that the first words recorded of Jesus were, I’m sure not the first words He ever spoke. For the first words recorded are of a youthful twelve year old Jesus in Luke 2:49. Mary and Joseph have taken the boy Jesus to the Temple and they marvel at His wisdom as He teaches the religious leaders. Luke tells us when they had performed all things that the law required they began to make their way back to Nazareth. So they assume He is in the caravan walking with other relatives and they walk about a day’s travel from Jerusalem before they realize Jesus is not in the group. I can imagine the panic they feel as they hurriedly make their way back to Jerusalem. When they find Him teaching again in the Temple Mary chastises Him asking why He would do such a thing, that she and Joseph had sought for Him “anxiously”. It is here we read the first recorded words of Jesus when He says, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?”
Now fast forward to John 19:30 where we find the final words of Jesus before He dies on the cross. These words I think are of great importance, especially in light of the first recorded words of Christ. In John 19 Jesus simply says, “It is finished”. Now notice He did not say “I am finished”. I don’t believe this was a statement about His life but rather a statement about His life’s task … the Father’s business. Jesus as He breathed His last breath on the cross told all generations that the Father’s plan for redemption had been completed; that whosoever calls on the name of the Lord will now be saved. Thank God “It is finished”. I will see you Sunday as we celebrate the fact He lives!
1. John 20:15 “Woman, why are you weeping?” – It’s interesting that Jesus does not take away the woman’s tears but rather simply asks why she is crying. In this life there will be heartache and the Lord never promises to take those things away that cause us to weep. But He rather says He will be with us and see us through the difficult days of this life, that we can bring to Him those things that break our hearts. But we know a day is coming (Revelation 21:4) when He will wipe away all tears from our eyes.
2. John 20:16 “Mary” – Now you might be tempted to question what’s so important about the fact He calls Mary by name. Here it is are you ready? He KNOWS your name! You are not just a number to Him. You are a person of great value … He was willing to go to the cross for you. And just as He knew Mary individually after the resurrection so I Believe He knows us and we will know one another in heaven.
3. John 20:17 “Go to My brethren” – She was to carry the message of the resurrection to others. That should serve to remind us that it’s the resurrection that makes the difference. Many so-called “gods” have died, but only One came back to life … the Lord Jesus. The resurrection shows there is hope beyond the grave; that this life is not all there is. What a message to carry to a world groping in darkness.
4. John 20:21 “Peace to you” – When the Lord offers peace to us we get peace with God as well as the peace of God. Our sins are forgiven and we are transformed from “children of wrath” and “enemies of God” to joint-heirs with Jesus Christ, adopted into the Father’s family. And because we have the One called the “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6) living inside of us in the form of the Holy Spirit, we can know the peace of God in the most trying of times.
5. John 20:21 “As the Father has sent Me, I also send you” – Jesus said in Luke 19:10 that He came to “seek and to save that which was lost.” In Mark 10:45 He states He came “not to be served but to serve and to give His life a ransom for the many.” I think clearly the Lord has sent us to those that are lost to point them to Him as the way out of their darkness. In a world consumed with trying to ascend to the top, let us be the hands and feet of Christ; not looking for folks to serve us but rather for those we can serve.
6. John 20:29 – Is the passage where the Risen Lord appears to His disciples. Thomas, likely verbalizing what many felt in their heart said “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” So when the Lord appears He speaks those exact words and invites Thomas to do just that. Then He looks into Thomas’ eyes and says “Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” Thomas in the midst of his doubts met the Lord. I think even when we doubt, if we earnestly seek Him, He comes to us in very real ways and removes all doubt and fear.
7. John 20:29 “Blessed are those who have not yet seen and yet have believed” – This is a word to those of us alive today. We have not seen, but rather we simply come to Him by “faith”. Ephesians 2 reminds that it is by faith we are saved.
Let’s go back to the words of the pre-crucifixion Jesus. I find it interesting that the first words recorded of Jesus were, I’m sure not the first words He ever spoke. For the first words recorded are of a youthful twelve year old Jesus in Luke 2:49. Mary and Joseph have taken the boy Jesus to the Temple and they marvel at His wisdom as He teaches the religious leaders. Luke tells us when they had performed all things that the law required they began to make their way back to Nazareth. So they assume He is in the caravan walking with other relatives and they walk about a day’s travel from Jerusalem before they realize Jesus is not in the group. I can imagine the panic they feel as they hurriedly make their way back to Jerusalem. When they find Him teaching again in the Temple Mary chastises Him asking why He would do such a thing, that she and Joseph had sought for Him “anxiously”. It is here we read the first recorded words of Jesus when He says, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?”
Now fast forward to John 19:30 where we find the final words of Jesus before He dies on the cross. These words I think are of great importance, especially in light of the first recorded words of Christ. In John 19 Jesus simply says, “It is finished”. Now notice He did not say “I am finished”. I don’t believe this was a statement about His life but rather a statement about His life’s task … the Father’s business. Jesus as He breathed His last breath on the cross told all generations that the Father’s plan for redemption had been completed; that whosoever calls on the name of the Lord will now be saved. Thank God “It is finished”. I will see you Sunday as we celebrate the fact He lives!
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
This roller-coaster called life
I love what we as Christians have come to call the “mountain top” experiences of our life and faith. Seeing my children saved and baptizing them, going to Israel twice and walking where Jesus walked, and the many mission trips I’ve been on are all examples of those kinds of experiences for me. One thing I have learned about mountain tops is that no one lives on them perpetually. Most of us don’t live on the mountain top but rather in the valley.
As I have thought about this today, I’ve come to believe that God doesn’t really want us to live only on the mountaintops; our times in the valleys is part of His plan as well. And when I say this, I think he wants us to LIVE, not just exist, not just endure until the next mountaintop. Many people seem to believe that God only shows up on the mountaintops, and that those times of their lives where they are walking through the valleys are the barren times “in between mountains”. These folk tend to view life like a roller-coaster, simply a series of ups and downs – times when you are on the mountaintop and times when you are down in the valley, “far from God”. When you live like this, you find yourself longing for the next mountaintop. Then life really becomes like a coaster, going from mountaintop to mountaintop as if life were a game of spiritual hopscotch.
I’ve come to believe this is not a biblical approach to life. God is not just God of the mountaintops; He is God of the valleys as well. Jesus takes us up to the mountaintops, but He also sends us through (and walks with us in) the valleys. His power is there to fill our lives in both places, and His purposes are accomplished in both. The Christian life is not the occasional exciting high surrounded by mostly boring low points. The whole Christian life is one wild ride. Sure there will be high points, but there will also be deep valleys. There will be unexpected twists and turns, dark tunnels, and even some places where your world will be turned upside-down.
How do you keep from freaking out on a roller-coaster? You know that if you are a roller-coaster rider, you have to trust that the engineer that designed the path your car takes knows what he was doing, despite how out-of-control you feel at the moment. You also have to have faith that if you hang on and stay in the car, it will bring you safely home. No one gets aboard a roller-coaster without recognizing that at times the ride will get bumpy but they also realize they have a bar across their lap designed to hold them in the car. For the Christian, that lap bar is called faith. Most of the ride you probably don’t really need it, but when you do need it, it better be there. Emergency equipment is just a nuisance until you need it, and faith isn’t faith until it’s all you’re holding on to.
Jesus was not only the architect who planned our ride through life; he actually became flesh and rode the ride himself. Jesus’ life was filled with twists and turns, high places and low. One moment He was entering Jerusalem as a King, surrounded by cheering crowds and the next He was betrayed, tortured, and crucified. Jesus never got off the track designed for Him. He rode the whole ride with his hands in the air!
When the roller coaster car we are in goes over the crest of the hill and plummets toward the ground, it’s easy to forget about having faith in the roller coaster designer. Our human nature is to scream out and not worry with who hears or sees us. We, at those times try to hang on to the physical things around us and trust in them for our survival. It’s fairly easy to discern who those are who really have placed their trust in the designer … they let go, raise their hands, and enjoy the ride. This is a great metaphor for the Christian life. The next time you find yourself anxious or fearful, simply let go, raise your hands to the heavens and surrender it to Jesus. You’ll be amazed at how enjoyable the ride really is.
As we enter the valleys its natural for us to concentrate so hard on the problems at hand that we are no longer conscious of much else taking place around us. Just like a roller coaster when we grab the safety bar holding us into the seat and stare straight ahead at the tracks below, we can easily become so concerned about our immediate situation that we lose sight of everything around us, including what we call the big picture. Jesus did not intend for us to sit on a bench and watch others ride the roller coaster of life; He intended for us to experience it for ourself.
There’s one stark difference between a physical roller coaster ride and the spiritual roller coaster of our Christian lives. A physical roller coaster begins with the highest peak at the beginning of the ride. As the ride progresses, each peak gets lower and lower while the valleys, or dips, stay the same. That is an excellent picture of a life without Christ. A person without Christ will spend his or her life looking for any way possible to climb above the valleys they find themselves in. As they progress along the track of ups and downs of life, it seems they find fewer and fewer things that lift them up. Those Christians who walk by faith close to the Lord find just the opposite to be true. Each low point is often not as low as the previous low point. But, the best part is how each high point is always bigger and better than the previous high point. As we progress through life’s roller coaster ride we climb higher and higher, making it possible to better visualize the big picture. This in turn makes it easier to keep a strong faith in the fact that God really will take care of everything we need.
So hang on, feel the power, and enjoy the ride. When the ride is over, and your car comes out of the last bunny hop and rolls back into the terminal, you’ll get to praise the designer and tell him how much you enjoyed the whole ride. Now this is important … You and I only get to ride this ride once; there is no “coming back next year”. When the ride is over we have to live forever with the results. When I get to heaven and am looking back on my life, I wonder what my souvenir photo is going to look like. Will I be surprised to find that Jesus was in the seat beside me the whole ride? Today I plan to let go, look forward, and enjoy both the ride and the view.
As I have thought about this today, I’ve come to believe that God doesn’t really want us to live only on the mountaintops; our times in the valleys is part of His plan as well. And when I say this, I think he wants us to LIVE, not just exist, not just endure until the next mountaintop. Many people seem to believe that God only shows up on the mountaintops, and that those times of their lives where they are walking through the valleys are the barren times “in between mountains”. These folk tend to view life like a roller-coaster, simply a series of ups and downs – times when you are on the mountaintop and times when you are down in the valley, “far from God”. When you live like this, you find yourself longing for the next mountaintop. Then life really becomes like a coaster, going from mountaintop to mountaintop as if life were a game of spiritual hopscotch.
I’ve come to believe this is not a biblical approach to life. God is not just God of the mountaintops; He is God of the valleys as well. Jesus takes us up to the mountaintops, but He also sends us through (and walks with us in) the valleys. His power is there to fill our lives in both places, and His purposes are accomplished in both. The Christian life is not the occasional exciting high surrounded by mostly boring low points. The whole Christian life is one wild ride. Sure there will be high points, but there will also be deep valleys. There will be unexpected twists and turns, dark tunnels, and even some places where your world will be turned upside-down.
How do you keep from freaking out on a roller-coaster? You know that if you are a roller-coaster rider, you have to trust that the engineer that designed the path your car takes knows what he was doing, despite how out-of-control you feel at the moment. You also have to have faith that if you hang on and stay in the car, it will bring you safely home. No one gets aboard a roller-coaster without recognizing that at times the ride will get bumpy but they also realize they have a bar across their lap designed to hold them in the car. For the Christian, that lap bar is called faith. Most of the ride you probably don’t really need it, but when you do need it, it better be there. Emergency equipment is just a nuisance until you need it, and faith isn’t faith until it’s all you’re holding on to.
Jesus was not only the architect who planned our ride through life; he actually became flesh and rode the ride himself. Jesus’ life was filled with twists and turns, high places and low. One moment He was entering Jerusalem as a King, surrounded by cheering crowds and the next He was betrayed, tortured, and crucified. Jesus never got off the track designed for Him. He rode the whole ride with his hands in the air!
When the roller coaster car we are in goes over the crest of the hill and plummets toward the ground, it’s easy to forget about having faith in the roller coaster designer. Our human nature is to scream out and not worry with who hears or sees us. We, at those times try to hang on to the physical things around us and trust in them for our survival. It’s fairly easy to discern who those are who really have placed their trust in the designer … they let go, raise their hands, and enjoy the ride. This is a great metaphor for the Christian life. The next time you find yourself anxious or fearful, simply let go, raise your hands to the heavens and surrender it to Jesus. You’ll be amazed at how enjoyable the ride really is.
As we enter the valleys its natural for us to concentrate so hard on the problems at hand that we are no longer conscious of much else taking place around us. Just like a roller coaster when we grab the safety bar holding us into the seat and stare straight ahead at the tracks below, we can easily become so concerned about our immediate situation that we lose sight of everything around us, including what we call the big picture. Jesus did not intend for us to sit on a bench and watch others ride the roller coaster of life; He intended for us to experience it for ourself.
There’s one stark difference between a physical roller coaster ride and the spiritual roller coaster of our Christian lives. A physical roller coaster begins with the highest peak at the beginning of the ride. As the ride progresses, each peak gets lower and lower while the valleys, or dips, stay the same. That is an excellent picture of a life without Christ. A person without Christ will spend his or her life looking for any way possible to climb above the valleys they find themselves in. As they progress along the track of ups and downs of life, it seems they find fewer and fewer things that lift them up. Those Christians who walk by faith close to the Lord find just the opposite to be true. Each low point is often not as low as the previous low point. But, the best part is how each high point is always bigger and better than the previous high point. As we progress through life’s roller coaster ride we climb higher and higher, making it possible to better visualize the big picture. This in turn makes it easier to keep a strong faith in the fact that God really will take care of everything we need.
So hang on, feel the power, and enjoy the ride. When the ride is over, and your car comes out of the last bunny hop and rolls back into the terminal, you’ll get to praise the designer and tell him how much you enjoyed the whole ride. Now this is important … You and I only get to ride this ride once; there is no “coming back next year”. When the ride is over we have to live forever with the results. When I get to heaven and am looking back on my life, I wonder what my souvenir photo is going to look like. Will I be surprised to find that Jesus was in the seat beside me the whole ride? Today I plan to let go, look forward, and enjoy both the ride and the view.
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