Good News Sense

Spirit is such a remarkable thing; it is both essence and attitude. The essence of the Spirit is person; He is separate from the Son yet totally Son-focused. He dwells in us. If you understand the Greek, He is more in us collectively than individually. Our Western Greek thinking is more individual than the Hebrew mindset. Yet, His influence is there for each of us, as He works to bring us all together as one.

However, spirit is also attitude. That is reflected in a phrase like “school spirit,” an attitude that draws students and staff together for the good of the school. Ours is to be a “Christ spirit,” drawn together for the good of His people, His will, and the good of all. The good news is the He dwells among us to help create this attitude, better than any cheerleader or loyal alumnus.

The bad news is how many Christians manage to ignore the Spirit. The Bible uses a word like grieve, because our negative, contrary attitudes affect Him like death. What attitudes grieve Him? Galatians 5 lists both the positive and the negative, but they can be summarized by love and hate. Christ’s spirit is one of love so great He died for those He loved, and that’s the attitude He wants us to have. How awful it is for Him and for us when we behave otherwise, and so often many of us do just that.

I recently read a book by a radio talk show host, and my own experiences confirm what he wrote. His worst letters, faxes, emails, and phone calls come from Christians. Now I know that angry people who aren’t Christians can be pretty nasty, and yet my experience supports his observation. For me, it is more than the inconsistency of false piety found in many religions. That is merely normal godlessness masquerading as religion. When a sincere Christian says, “God hates fags,” he reveals a spirit at odds with the Spirit. Even truth, and many beliefs of such Christians are simply not truth, does not overrule love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, humility, or self-control. What possesses (literally?) a Christian that allows him or her to ignore what the New Testament so plainly teaches? That question has puzzled me for many, many years.

The good news is that we don’t have to be like that. We have the Spirit in both senses, as an attitude we can learn and a Coach who never stops encouraging us. The good news is that this attitude is better than the other; those who operate in hatred and condemnation reveal the angry, bitter, lonely people that they are. Trying to be better than those they despise doesn’t work; they always know the reality inside. If we love, accepting our own sinful but redeemed selves, then we can gently, kindly urge others to the same love we know and enjoy. Condemnation doesn’t drive people to the truth; it drives them away.

I have a friend who comes to mind as I write that, one who avoids church because of the hatred and antagonism my friend has experienced, too often, from Christians! As a friend, I pray I can reveal the authentic Spirit and reclaim what the anti-spirit has driven away. Perhaps I can exemplify Jesus, the perfectly righteous man, who loves sinners and never condemns them.

The Spirit of Christ is more than a spur to enthusiastic worship; we can do the same at a pep rally. His spirit is working to turn us inside out, replacing pain and judgment with understanding, healing, and compassion. This isn’t the false piety of a “me and God” thing; it is a “Christ among us,” “Eureka, I’ve found it!” revolution of thinking, a true change of heart. And that is really good news!

(This may be one of the posts that got dumped when we were upgrading our site.  If so, I have edited it, and it probably reads just a little bit differently, if you happened to catch the earlier version. -JRW)

I’m a night owl. If I don’t have to be up and about early, I tend to stay up late. Usually, I end up reading, but I started writing this at nearly one in the morning, the same time as I am now posting it. My mind seems to run better at night. That whole “men love darkness rather than the light” thing always seemed to suggest something bad about me.

Of course, it doesn’t really. That verse is refers to spiritual darkness, a place for people to try to hide their sin, and we are seeing entirely too much of it. A senator is in court for breaking the law. A congressman who replaced his disgraced predecessor is himself guilty of shameful behavior. A presidential candidate admires a rapper who writes lyrics filled with profanity. TV is filled with programs that glorify all manner of sinful behavior. Threats of violence from crime and terrorism make the world a frightening place. We live in a country and world where millions of unborn babies die for the convenience of their mothers. Furthermore, no time of the year seems to celebrate horror and darkness like October; no, I don’t mean the election but Halloween. Yet somehow purveyors of much of this spiritual darkness single out Christianity as bad for the country. Will the darkness overwhelm us?

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.” In John 1:5, we read that “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not suppressed it.” Such is the nature of darkness that it takes only a little light to drive it back, but it doesn’t work in reverse. A little darkness has virtually no effect on light. Jesus isn’t a little light. The Son of God, the incarnate Word, Prince of Peace, Promised Messiah, the Savior of all who believe, and the King seated at the right hand of the Father is no flickering candle. He is a Supernova, a spotlight, and a beacon driving back the uncomprehending darkness, illuminating every dark corner, and revealing what the shadows try to conceal. No other would-be messiah can comes close to His brilliance, and we ought to be wary of pretenders. We’ve been warned that the darkness is clever at acting enlightened.

The good news is that we don’t have to fear the darkness, however penetrating and pervasive is seems to be. The Word contains His light, and we can use it to guide us through the dark, shine its light into the dark places, and brighten the gloom in the world around us. This isn’t just a metaphor. Truth is the answer to lies. Its light will expose deceivers. Revelation is more certain than speculation. Wisdom provides better direction than foolishness. Promises offer greater security than wishes and empty dreams. Righteousness leads to contentment while sin leads to guilty dissatisfaction.

Even better, “the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining” (I John 2:8). As we have all seen, the darkness seems worst just before the dawn. The desperation with which those in darkness seek to extinguish the light is clear, but they will never succeed. The theory of evolution is a good example. For a time, its seemed undeniable that creation was an antiquated myth, like believing in the tooth fairy, but today scientific advances in microbiology reveal a complexity within the very cells that no theory can attribute to accidents of chance. Even the most committed “believers” in evolution take a “leap of faith” to avoid the evidence of design. Could the recent rise in books attacking belief in God come from desperation in the darkness at the persistence of the light?

The good news is “out there,” unlike the dubious “truth” about alien life in an old TV show. The reality is that the light of life persists and cannot be extinguished or dimmed. However the next election turns out, the Light of Christ will not go out. Will darkness hover and howl like a wolf at the brick house of the wise pig? Perhaps it will, but we will be safe inside the truth that shines and, rather than diminishing, will shine brighter till it illuminates every shadowed corner and hidden niche.  Nobody’s turning off this light; it’s on for good!

What is a name. Shakespeare said, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Names do not change the essence of a thing or person but should accurately reflect what that essence is. Last time, I wrote about the misuse of names as labels. We use labels to dismiss people, deceive, or confuse; we may generalize wrongly or intentionally to seek to alter the sense of who someone is. Bad names can do harm; name-calling can confuse a child for a lifetime. However, some labels are valid and, in fact, necessary because they are undeniable, because we choose them for ourselves, or because they help us communicate respectfully and effectively. A well-chosen name is a blessing as much as an inappropriate name is a curse.

Human is a useful label (I prefer the older, generic “Man”). It applies to every person, each individual created in God’s image, able to use words to think, record, and communicate and gifted to function creatively. Geneticists could tell us exactly what makes us human in terms of genes and DNA, and it begins at the moment that egg and sperm are joined in conception. Dolphins, whales, and puppies are not human, but a Downs Syndrome baby, an elderly Alzheimer’s patient, and an African tribesman afflicted with AIDS are most definitely human. A slave owner, whether in the antebellum South or modern-day Sudan, who regards a slave as less than human and yet conceives a child with that very slave, proves the humanity of slave and child.

Disciple is an important designation, because a person choses to follow Jesus Christ and learn from Him. This label is associated with several other quite remarkable appellations—chosen person, royal priest, child of God, and “little Christ” (the meaning of Christian). We may add other designations—Baptist, evangelical, protestant, Bible-believer, charismatic, Lutheran, or even fundamentalist. We use labels like these to clarify who we are and distinguish us from other Christians. To an extent, this is valid and acceptable; yet too often, people use them condescendingly to imply or state outright their superiority to other believers. Once we take the step of marking oneself as better than another, we have begun to misuse the label. It’s not our job to judge God’s children or evaluate their service to Him; indeed, Paul said that he didn’t even judge his own service.

A third useful and legitimate label is American, although it is a name we must use carefully and humbly. I dislike the use of hyphens to distinguish among Americans, as much as I object to them for dividing Christians. I regard this label as one to wear proudly because the United States has a noble heritage of freedom and faith. Like any designation, it comes without guarantee that all who use it will be honorable, decent, and kind. No matter the label, we all remain sinners, and none of us is perfect.  Still, I believe it is a good name and one I am proud to use for myself.

Other useful labels have value if properly defined and applied.  Man and woman, gentleman and lady, and the like are words that should inspire us to be the best of whatever we are.  I strive to be a good and godly man and a gentleman, knowing once they were largely synonymous.  Friend can be a rich and meaningful label if we use it thoughtfully, not casually.  I have over 100 friends on Facebook; others have thousands, but how many of even my hundred are true friends?  I limit my acceptance of requests because I want to be a genuine friend, more than a name on a list.

Personally, I aspire to labels such as leader, teacher, servant, prophet, counselor, and student.  These are good roles, and I hope you have certain roles in mind that you aspire to fill.  We live in an age of insult and name-calling, but in a culture of aimlessness and selfish pleasure.  We need the challenge of good names, good labels that motivate us to be better people and to respect other people more.  When we do that, we become the good news.

If there is one thing I hate about this election cycle—and there are several—I despise the appeal to race, charges of racism, and the use of the “race card.” It is terribly sad for anyone to look down on a person or group because of skin color or heritage; but most people, who make such claims, today, seek political advantage, and they bother me. Their continuing accusations make things worse, not better. Politics will never cure racism, but it can make the relations between races worse, and has already done so.

God is “no respecter of persons.” In Christ, there is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female.” He doesn’t mean we are all the same; he’s saying he doesn’t label or pigeonhole us. In him, there are no “sticks and stones.” The God who doesn’t hold our sin against us certainly doesn’t see some as inferior to others because of their origins or associations. He created Man in his own image, and our Creator—Father, Savior, and Lord—loves each unique, image-bearer.

I won’t be voting for or against any candidate based on superficial, exterior characteristics. I don’t care whether they look like George Washington or George Washington Carver; as far as I can tell, none of the candidates look like our founding fathers. Besides, many beautiful people are not qualified to be President, and many homely folks are. Would Americans vote for Abe Lincoln today? Someone wrote a novel about the challenges Jesus would face if he tried to run for President (Most churches wouldn’t want him as their pastor either). Sadly, many vote for image and ignore character, experience, and genuine leadership qualities.

I grew up near a small Ohio town where there were no minorities. We did have a black business teacher, who was advisor for the high school paper I edited in my senior year. I lost respect for him, but it had nothing to do with his skin color. He was a jerk! The year after I graduated, he invited my successor and other boys to his home, gave them alcohol, and acted improperly toward them; after that he was dismissed. Race was not an issue. Character was.

Character and beliefs will determine my choice. I will vote for a candidate I find trustworthy and who espouses American values consistent with our history and Constitution. I treasure freedom and opportunity, religious liberty, capitalism, limited government, and lower taxes for everyone, even the rich. I don’t understand why people think putting more money and power in the hands of politicians and bureaucrats will work better for anyone except, of course, for career politicians and bureaucrats. A candidate’s ethnic heritage doesn’t matter; his political philosophy does.

Some call it “identity politics,” voting for those who are “like you.” Frankly, that is the dumbest way to vote. I could name any number of people who “look like me” that would make terrible Presidents, while I could also name others—Thomas Sowell, J. C. Watts, Bobby Jindal—who don’t look like me that I’d choose easily. Sarah Palin also qualifies, and I’d seriously consider Condoleezza Rice. Ultimately, however, there’s nobody quite like me. To choose anyone, we must accept differences, mysteries, and even contrary opinions, to some extent.

God didn’t make us to be like anyone, really, except Him in whose image we were created. That we divide, associate, and label to condemn shows how little we understand his intent. I resent those who dismiss my concerns, questions, and opinions by slapping a label on me. I am deeply disappointed in my fellow citizens, some who are fellow Christians, who hear such labels and accept the dismissive, disrespectful attitude they represent. I confess my own failure, at times, to fall into easy labeling instead of dealing with real people and real issues.

I am grateful that our God does better. He doesn’t label. He sees each individual, their heart and soul, and their uniqueness, which he regards as precious. He doesn’t dump us into categories, not even sinful categories. In his eyes, we’re not anything but his precious children, whom he loves. Would that we were more like Him.

“I am not ashamed of the good news,” wrote the Apostle Paul. Why on earth would anyone be ashamed of good news? Paul made that statement to a community of believers in the very Capitol of the Roman Empire, in a letter to the church at Rome. Is it possible that believers in that worldly city (We fancy it up and say cosmopolitan) were scorned by the urbane (City folks have always tended to look down on those they regard as country bumpkins) sophisticates (A word whose root means wise, but sophisticates just think they’re smarter than the rest) of their day? That is the problem many Christians have, today, among our urbane, cosmopolitan sophisticates.

Paul says that he is not ashamed of the gospel because it is “the power of God for salvation.” As people gain education, prestige, social standing, and status, power becomes very important, but it’s the power of money, position, and influence. They often scorn spiritual power; we even heard a Presidential candidate do that, earlier this year. The worldly wise think they have the key to “real power,” ignoring the ultimate power of the Creator.

Paul identifies their denial for what it is (verse 21); His power is evident, and they have no excuse. Believers have no excuse for allowing the condescending attitudes of such people humiliate and shame them in their faith. I just finished Lee Strobel’s A Case for Faith in which he deals with the very real doubts that contribute to our feeling abashed by the worldly elites around us. The fear is that perhaps they are right, and we, therefore, are silly superstitious fools, holding on to our religion.

Of course, Paul had two reasons to feel second-class; he didn’t fit in with Roman sophisticates, and he didn’t completely share his own Jewish people’s beliefs any more. He could face the scorn on either side by remembering that both groups were lost in sin, a position he thoroughly expounded in the early chapters of the Roman epistle. Whatever power they cling to—the power of the Empire will fall to the barbarians, and the traditions of the Jews won’t prevent their scattering among the nations—God’s power is the power of ultimate, personal deliverance from the universal condemnation of sin and the just sentence of death. Romans need it; Jews need it. Americans and Europeans need it. Muslims, atheists, and Buddhists need it, as do all other adherents of whatever religion, philosophy, or lack thereof.

We all want to “fit in,” but seeking acceptance can destroy a person’s spiritual reputation in a culture opposed to the Christian faith, as ours is. Educated people scorn faith as ignorant. High class folks think of Christianity as low class. We even heard it in the Presidential campaign, scorning as bitter and pathetic, somehow, those who “cling to their Bibles.” Well, guess what? I cling to my Bible, and I’m not bitter. This world is not my home. This culture is a culture of death, especially as it relates to abortion, infanticide, suicide, and euthanasia, and I will not compromise my convictions to be accepted or to fit in. I am not ashamed.

“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’ “

(I believe I posted this earlier and then lost the post due to technical difficulties.  I didn’t have a complete copy, so this version is somewhat more than revised.–JRW)

“I may speak in the tongues of men, even angels; but if I lack love, I have become merely blaring brass or a cymbal clanging. I may have the gift of prophecy, I may fathom all mysteries, know all things, have all faith—enough to move mountains; but if I lack love, I am nothing. I may give away everything that I own, I may even hand over my body to be burned; but if I lack love, I gain nothing.”—I Corinthians 13:1-3, Jewish New Testament, translation by David H. Stern

Whether you are a humanist, socialist, capitalist, conservative, libertarian, progressive, or Bible-believing Christian, your future is limited by one simple thing. That thing is love. Not romance, and certainly not casual sex, love is more than most people understand or practice. We may see glimpses of it in a mother’s love for her child or in the first flush of chemistry between a couple. The impulse that leads a soldier to throw himself on a grenade to save his brother or the devotion of old friends over a lifetime reveal the sacred quality in the hearts, even of unsaved people. Yet, for the most part, authentic, Christ-like love is rare, even among believers.

To appreciate what love is, consider love’s opposite. When I have asked, people usually suggest hatred or apathy; then they express puzzlement when I say that these are expressions of love’s absence but the contrary quality is something more. Love’s opposite is selfishness. To love is to put others at least on a par with oneself (i.e. “love your neighbor as yourself”). Paul says, “In humility regard each other as better than yourselves—look out for each other’s interests and not just for your own” (Philippians 2:3b-4). Hatred and apathy are flip sides of the same self-centered attitude; the former is hostile, the latter is uncaring, but both are self-serving.

Paul’s warning in I Corinthians 13 says that everything we do without love is worthless, empty, and pointless, but most of us don’t believe that. We carry on our jobs, our campaigns, and even our romances, daring to call our uncaring behaviors love. We call sex lovemaking. What utter nonsense! Self-gratification soon pales, and relationships built on it fail. We say the words, “I love you,” but we often mean, “You make me feel good.” Then folks wonder why relationships disappoint and end. Our culture has honored hard work, but investing in a profession or career without giving comparable commitment to caring for other people will, in the end, create job dissatisfaction and, often, home dissolution. Sales, politics, education, public service, and even ministry all accomplish nothing, absolutely nothing, without love!

This is harsh reality, one we generally prefer to ignore. We live in a culture of accomplishment, but we cannot succeed without love, however we delude ourselves, individually or collectively. Yet the converse is amazing! With love, I believe we can do remarkable, unimaginably marvelous things. Love is the key!

I have considered and taught the importance of love throughout my entire ministry, but I am just beginning to realize the possibilities on the creative side of the equation. God created humans in his image; doing so, he gave us enormous, virtually unlimited potential. When we fall back on our own resources; or, more to the point, when we deny the essence of his image in us that is love, we cut ourselves off, both from him and from each other. Effectiveness, cut off from channels of inspiration, creativity, and encouragement, limits doubly; we limit ourselves, and we limit those we fail to love. If our efforts are empty and worthless without love, love gives our labors unimaginable significance, purpose, and value.

Father, Son, and Spirit function in the vital connectedness of their love. We are created to be like God. The relationship of the Godhead is a profound mystery, and perhaps that is why we struggle to understand the necessity of our interconnections—love, fellowship, unity, harmony, collaboration, and mutual encouragement. I can imagine many thinking that this isn’t logical. How can love make pumping gas or flipping burgers worthwhile? What sense does it make to imagine love changes the value of growing turnips or selling shoes?

We can see the benefits of love, unselfish caring, in occupations with an interpersonal connections. For example, a doctor may be an expert in diagnosis and disease but fail his patients with an aloof manner. He might assume that knowledge is the only necessity, but compassion will encourage his patients to trust him, thereby making them more likely to follow his therapeutic advice. Obviously, a caring pastor will attract more people to his message and his congregation. Even a cosmetics saleswoman will have better sales if she actually cares about the women who buy and use her products.

However, I am convinced that love will impact the success of those whose work is impersonal and has no direct social dimension. A man who really loves his wife and children will be a better farmer or factory worker, not just working for them, but working as one who is filled with love given and received. A classic picture is the man who works, pays the bills, manages the budget, supervises savings and investments, but keeps all of that to himself so his wife has no knowledge of what’s going on. He deals with the problems at the office without sharing, makes decisions on his own, seeks no advice, and then finds that he and his wife have grown totally apart. Love moves a person to share, reveal disappointments, ask advice, and draw a loved one or friend into all areas of their life, just as they care about all areas of their loved one’s life.

As I said, I am just beginning to appreciate the significance of love in creating value in our endeavors. I still have much to learn. Yet I am convinced that a commitment to love as Jesus loves will garner rewards beyond the relationships themselves, as precious as they are. I believe love will “inspire,” that is breathe into all our activities, the very Spirit of God, deliver us from purposelessness and boredom in our work, energize with untapped resources of imagination and creativity, and reward us with an awesome degree of success that honors God as well as providing us with deep satisfaction. This is great good news far beyond what most of us have heard before, and it holds the promise of victory, even today, when so many ponder defeat!

For a slogan to be trustworthy, it must be true. Political slogans are notable in their vacuousness, and this one is especially meaningless. Basic English grammar says that this sentence needs a direct object: “Yes, we can what?” Even adding another of the words from the same campaign, we know little more to say, “Yes, we can change things.” If I could, I’d change my bald head into a full head of hair, but I can’t do that. Despite ads to the contrary, so far, male pattern baldness can be covered but not undone.

The people of the United States have remarkable power to change many things politically, but it requires knowledge and a bit of effort. Trusting slick campaigns and glib politicians is not the way. Too many of us have accepted that approach, assuming we can trust our elected officials to take care of our country for us. People, who often wouldn’t trust their own mothers and fathers to manage their affairs (once they’re adults themselves), seem to imagine they can trust strangers with well-crafted celebrity-styled images. Our various representatives serve our interests and carry out our wishes only when we hold them accountable; we do that by voting them out of office for not doing what they promise. Frankly, Americans haven’t been doing that.  Blaming the “ins” for natural shifts in an economy no one controls is mere reaction, not accountability.  Blaming a President for the results of actions taken by Congress is ignorant, as many are.

The news has been especially troubling, of late. As a result, more and more people, including believers, seem to express doubt about the future. While the future is always uncertain, and given that the Lord makes no guarantees to us concerning this world, I find such hopelessness distressing. As believers, we are not powerless. We are intimately connected to the God of power, the One who created and sustains our very existence. As children of God and citizens of His kingdom, we can! We can make a difference, and I have written about that in some detail.

What can we do? I will mention a few things and invite you to add to my list. First of all, we can pray. We have great power in prayer because we pray to the God of all power. Prayer isn’t magic; it is not Aladdin’s lamp filled with wishes. Yes, we may come to God with our needs, problems, and wishes, and he may give what we seek. Often we don’t have because we don’t ask. At the same time, prayer is our line of communication, two-way street. We must listen, seek wisdom, ask for guidance, and respect Him who is, after all, our Sovereign Lord and Heavenly Father. As one song says, “It’s not about me!”

Second, we can love. Without love, we cannot. That’s a big deficiency in most politicians; they love no one but themselves. Their assertions of caring and compassion are a ruse, and not a very good one. Those who often make the loudest claims of caring are frequently those whose personal actions prove the lie. Paul states it plainly; without love, nothing, nada, zilch! A friend sent me a review of a book called Love or Die. Does that sound harsh? It is true, you know. Somehow, we manage to convince ourselves that the Great Commandment is, well, secondary, while we involve ourselves with what’s really important. We delude ourselves into thinking we’ve got it covered, even as we neglect love disgracefully (Isn’t that an interesting word? Fully not grace!) Without love, we cannot. With love we can.

All other sources of individual power—being an example, serving as a mentor, being an agents of change, evangelizing, connecting to our community, and influencing culture—all hinge on love. If we make them mere activities, we are no different from the multitudes of other activists. With love bathed in prayer, we can. Yes, we can! (I realized as I was writing that the idea of love as a key to effectiveness is worth further development. Stay tuned…)

“Happy, happy, happy, happy, happy all the time,” says a children’s song. An old gospel song says, “It’s just like Jesus to take the clouds away.” Really? Is that consistent with Scriptures like “In this world you will have tribulation,” “They will hate you because they have hated me,” or “I don’t think the sufferings we are going through now are even worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed to us in the future?” Adults who expect Jesus to take their “clouds” away will often discover otherwise, and telling children that a Christian’s life is “happy all the time” is lying to them, setting them up for disillusionment as they grow up.

Worry comes easily these days; so many things threaten one’s sense of security—a grim view of the economy, high gas prices, war fatalities, and threats of terrorism. Depending on a person’s ideology, the coming election may provoke hope, despair, or cynicism. Few are optimistic, and even those will likely be disappointed. Some simply refuse to get involved and seek passing relief in sex, drugs or alcohol, or other indulgence.

Even redeemed, sinners living in a fallen world of sinners suffer; it is unavoidable. We struggle in our relationships because getting along with sinners, even the better ones, is hard. People disappoint and hurt us, some by accident and some with ill intent. We experience both physical and mental agony. We also suffer from illness and injury, birth defects and inherited disorders, and the disabilities of age. We endure limitations, discomfort, chronic pain, and the looming reality of death. Fear of death is frightening, but losing a precious loved to death is yet another kind of anguish, grief exacerbated if death comes to a child in a tragic accident or unexpected calamity. Finally are the misfortunes that take away home or livelihood—fires, natural disasters, business reversals, job losses, or social upheavals. In this world, we do suffer.

Human suffering may be solitary or involve an entire community or people—war, famine, epidemic, poverty, or natural disaster. When the various causes of pain and anguish combine, as when families fight after a parent dies or thieves steal in the wake of a natural disaster, the toll is even greater. What is clear is that in this world, even for the finest, most upstanding Christians, life is no bowl of cherries. Or if it is, why am I “always in the pits,” as Erma Bombeck entitled book? Amazingly, even when life seems to be good, darkness apparently haunts some; consider the suicides of celebrities or even of bright young people who appear to have wonderful lives.

The good news is that God has arranged for encouragement to sustain us, this side of eternity. Words such as “blessed,” “joy,” and “contentment” convey a suitable alternative to “happy, happy, happy,” but we must not confuse them. The reality is wonderful, but expecting to simply “feel good” all the time can be devastating, even to the destruction of a person’s faith. Trying to comprehend the difference has even led me to question the concept of “endless bliss.” Perhaps that is why C. S. Lewis entitled his autobiography Surprised by Joy.

“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say, rejoice,” wrote Paul, suggesting that we must choose to look beyond the “momentary” suffering to the Lord who suffered to make a way out for us. Paul also said, “I have learned to be content.” If Paul had to learn, then most likely we will need to work at learning how to be content. This may be harder in a culture of ever more immediate gratification. Contentment requires a willingness to accept what is while we wait for what will be. The cap on all of this comes in the Beatitudes where Jesus promises blessings for all kinds of people including the suffering “poor in spirit.” Life ain’t easy, but the good news is that, in Jesus, it is more than bearable.

(I posted this earlier, and it was lost due for technical reasons.  If anything, it is even more appropriate as we seem to face increasingly bad economic news.  Believers dare not put rest their outlook in this world but in the realities rooted in the next!)