The Context of Reality

Life is tough. How’s that for some profound wisdom. Many people consider this site to be a great source of profound wisdom (ok maybe just one person…), but that may not be the case today. All around us, people are failing, I’ve failed, bad decisions are being made. People let each other down and relationships are strained. There’s pain, there’s suffering, broken hearts and broken homes.

Sometimes Christians become consumed by the wickedness of our world and give up or backslide. Now I love the name Luke, but luke-warm is not a good temperature to be when it comes to Eternity.

Thank God, quite literally, that He hasn’t left us empty handed. The Bible is clearly the best book ever written, easily the best selling, and hands down the most historically accurate document known to man.

In Romans (12:2) the Bible tells us, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.” And in Ephesians (6:12) we see that, “…our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

How’s that for a little perspective? Rulers, Authorities, powers, spiritual forces…. That sounds like some stiff competition. But if we’ve submitted our lives to Christ we know that we have the ultimate victory in Him. Many people, even life-long Christians struggle with accepting the reality of life, of Eternity. But struggling doesn’t mean giving up and accepting doubt as truth. We can search the scriptures, rely on our Christian brothers and sisters, and ask God for what we lack. “But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind” (James 1:6). I love that quote. My wife painted that on a wall in our house. I don’t want to be like a wave, back and forth, back and forth, pulled around all day by the moon. ...We need the reminder.

In Hebrews (10:39) we see that, “We are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved”. That one’s not painted anywhere in our home, but its definitely ingrained in my mind...

Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me.” (John 14:6) That is reality. That is the context of life, our lives. There are only two ways to respond that…

I don’t always understand it, but life is tough for a reason. The things that seem like overwhelming hardships are often not that big of a deal and we just need a little perspective to see whether or not this will really matter in a hundred years (let alone Eternity…). “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance” (James 1:2-3).

We are part of something greater. Each day God will show us that more and more, if we seek Him. Our focus is not on the failure in life, not on the pain and suffering in this wicked world. Rather by choosing to focus on Eternity, the amazing gift of life, and the beauty of God’s creation all around us, we can live in a new way and experience the fullness of life.

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.” (Php 4:8)