How do We Embrace Our Reality in Jesus when the World Screams Doom, Death, & Destruction?
How do we embrace the reality of living in a world that is slowly decaying, moving through the world in physical bodies that are one day closer to death with every rotation of the earth, whilst simultaneously being seated with Jesus in the heavenly realms?
How do we navigate illness and disappointment, weeping with our friends who weep, mourning the loss of loved ones, whilst also understanding that, thanks to Jesus, healing and wholeness is our portion?
During the difficult seasons we cannot bury our heads in the sand and simply pretend that everything is okay. To do so is both dishonest and disempowering - and who would we be fooling anyway? So what’s the alternative? Why are we here and how do we navigate this thing called life?
Jesus said it best:
“Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.
“Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you?
“I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand - shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.”
-Matthew 5:13-16 MSG
“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life - your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life - and place it before God as an offering.
“Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God.
“You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.”
-Romans 12:1+2 MSG
“God-helping you” is key. When you’re walking through a challenging season, when the world around you seems to be shouting reminders of how dark things look: war, recession, the cost of living crisis; God-helping you, you give it all to Him. You lean on Him.
We said goodbye to our darling spaniel Molly this week. She grew up with our three children during their formative years. She was my daily walking companion, we went on so many adventures together, a part of my ministry as together we spread joy. It’s been a hard week, one where it felt challenging to be that salt and light Jesus talked about.
Holy Spirit invited me to share with you what He shared with me as I was journaling:
“Lean on me. You don’t need to will your way to being strong or capable. Yes, I give you the words and love to be strong for other people but you need to do so empowered by me otherwise you’ll simply exhaust yourself.
“And leaning on me was how you were always created to do life. It is my very best for you, in seasons of joy and in seasons of tears. Close your eyes and see me holding you, lifting you up, cradling you in the palm of my hand.
“I am never far from you. I never leave you. You were made to live life with me, in me. What does living each day in me look like? Ask me! I want to help you live fully alive, fully human, and humanity was made to live in me.
“And remember that the seasons of grief will pass. You’ll never forget the ones you love. Instead, with time, that love and the memories and moments you had together become like precious jewels, beautiful and carried close to your heart.
“But that gives you little comfort when things feel hard so instead I invite you to simply talk to me about how you’re feeling. You don’t need to play pretend with me and I don’t need you to wear a brave face for my benefit.
“What if you shared everything that’s on your heart right now? Yes, the things that are making you smile and the pieces that break your heart. None of it is off limits and sharing those things with me is a step closer to the heart of where you were created to reside.
“Live in me. Lean on me. When you do so, you are living slap bang in the centre of your purpose, regardless of the circumstances going on around you and so I invite you again … live in me, lean on me. I will not let you down.”