P.U. - August 15, 2000

 

During our ordeal over the past few months I have come to an astounding conclusion ... sometimes life just stinks. I'm sure that's not news to anyone, but do you ever feel guilty about your Christian walk when you think that way? There seems to be this unspoken feeling that if your life circumstances are in the dump you must not be walking close enough to God. Pam & I try to be very honest about our Christian walk and I can tell you from experience, sometimes life really does stink. That doesn't mean that God is any less in control or you love Him any less. It doesn't necessarily mean you are being punished, though you may be living the consequences of a bad decision. It's just life.

We're not alone in feeling this way. How do you suppose Moses felt when following God's call to confront Pharaoh ended up in worse treatment for the Israelites? How about Sarah all those long years she prayed for a son and nothing happened? Then there was David who could rule a nation yet stood by helpless as his family fell apart. How do you think Mary felt when she looked up to see her first born Son struggle to catch His dying breath? The list goes on and on...

I can't think of a person in the Bible who didn't have times when their life just plain stunk. The good news for Christians is the stinky parts of life don't last forever. There is always the hope of a better tomorrow, either in this world or the next. Don't let hard times erode your faith, God is good even when life isn't. Don't let pie-in-the-sky Christians discourage you, they are the first to fall away when trouble comes. Just stay focused on God and remember when the valley you are walking through turns into a garbage dump, you are in good company. We've all been there. Even Jesus.

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