Perspectives

Romans 3:21-23) … 21) But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22) This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23) for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (NIV).

Seniors have a great time sipping coffee and reminiscing. We did this, we did that and on and on we go, day after day. It is kind of fun and perhaps even helpful in this thing called growing old quietly or growing old with a tender spirit. But then all at once the conversion will change, and we look at each other and ask the question “why…why all the pain and suffering?” Everything hurts and what does not hurt does not work anymore. Then we question why people hurt each other. Why is there so much hatred in the world? Why must innocent bystanders suffer because of all the bad things other people do? And why does God not just rid this world of everything sinful and evil? To ask why might not have an easy answer. Why is not always an easy or even a good answer? Why creates a real problem for us at times because either we cannot, or we do not want to understand what the “cause” part of the question is.

Consider for a moment, if God was to rid this world of all things that were evil or sinful, God would have to get rid of you and me. We have all done things that were not right. We have said things that was hurtful, we have been known to say things that were not true, and we have even gone so far as saying things about other people that perhaps slandered their good name.

Another thing! God has created all of us with the freedom to choose. When He created humanity, He placed into the heart of every man and every woman a soul; we are not mindless machines. He gave us the ability to choose between right and wrong, good and evil. Can you imagine what life would be like if we did not have the freedom of choice? Life would not be worth a whole lot, would it? Our lives have a purpose, and our choices determine whether we fulfill that purpose.

God has not dealt with us according to our sinful, fallen nature. He has provided a Saviour for us. He sent His only Son Jesus Christ into this world to suffer along with us because sin had turned this world into a murky swamp. Jesus came into this world and faced temptation in every way we do. He suffered cruel treatment and finally He was nailed to a cruel cross, all for us. Christ endured the effects of this sinful world to a greater degree than any of us ever could. He knows and feels the hurts we do. Yet, He also knows how to comfort us.

I suppose the hardest thing for us to understand is the “why” of everything. I have seen people rise in rebellion against God when they are seriously sick when they are facing eternity. There are times when it is hard to believe that God is good when we must watch our loved ones suffer so much. But it is at this point, where we must choose to trust Christ. We have the power of choice, either to commit ourselves totally to His will or to reject him. Sometimes that is a difficult task indeed.

How anyone can endure the pain and suffering in this world without faith in God is hard for me to understand. Somehow, I cannot comprehend that thought. I cannot believe that there is nothing beyond the grave. I cannot accept that. If that were so, life then would be hopeless. But if we have accepted Christ as our Saviour, then life truly has meaning. In Christ, even the most hopeless situation can have meaning. If we have a living, faith in Christ He will give us the grace to endure suffering. He will infuse an attitude of praise and worship deep within our hearts. This attitude of praise and worship will bring confirmation that life is not hopeless but full of joy… To God Be the Glory Great Things He Has Done…

All the best as we enter the Christmas season!

Would you pray this prayer with me … “Lord Jesus, come into my heart? Forgive my sins. I want my life to change. My thoughts and my attitude need to change. I do not have the peace in my heart that I yearn for. I really want that Peace, joy and happiness that will fulfill my heart’s desire. Please let the Holy Spirit help me be the kind of Christian that will honor Your Name.” Amen.