"Take Heart! I Have Overcome the World!"
Some how or another, I've ended up on the mailing list of a very upscale shopping area in Dallas. Every so often, I receive an oversized "magazine" filled with sharp layout, interesting photography, and ads bold in their simplicity and elegance. It's really a lovely piece, but whoever has compiled the mailing list may want to do better due diligence. Folks, I appreciate your cool magazine, but I ain't your gal. Still, because it is so beautifully designed, I can't put it in the recycling bin until I look through it cover to cover. There's one thing about this magazine that grips me every time, though. From the cover shot to almost all of the ads, there are thin, attractive,
highly fashionably dressed women and men who look absolutely miserable. Some tend toward indignant pouts, but most just look sad.
I imagine that if a magazine were to be made of humankind, we might find a lot of photos of sadness. The world really is a hard place to be right now, and the proof is only a mouse click or the touch of a remote control away. In a recent conversation with my younger son, he lamented over bringing a brand new baby girl into this crazy world. He mentioned racial tensions, poverty, injustice, loneliness, starvation, childhood illness, and a host of other ginormous problems. He wrapped up his comments by saying, "All I can do is pray and give money...It's silly that I can't do more."
My first response to that sweet son of mine was to remind him where he is -- and where he's going. As far as where he is -- life on earth -- Jesus Himself pretty much just laid it out there. "In this world, YOU WILL HAVE TROUBLE. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33b) First part of that verse -- wow, Jesus! Second biggest understatement of the ages! AND second part of that verse -- wow, Jesus! FIRST biggest understatement of the ages! Life on earth is difficult -- more so for some than for others. In the course of a simple, "easy" life, there are heartaches and disappointments, loss of loved ones, failing health -- things common to the human condition. But for a huge proportion of the world's population, suffering is a constant in their lives -- abuse, chronic illness, war, human trafficking -- and the list goes on. Every believing heart longs for what's right and good.
And every believing heart can be comforted in knowing that such a place exists -- but we're not there yet. In Revelation, John heard and recorded the words that are the hope of every despairing heart. "And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be his people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be NO MORE death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.' He Who was seated on the throne said, 'I am making everything new!' Then He said,'Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.'" (Revelation 21:3-5) Jesus HAS overcome the world, and one day, we'll see His full and perfect work revealed. This isn't Heaven, but it's coming!
"All I can do is pray." Oh, my goodness! Then DO IT! Do you understand the power in "just praying?!" If you know the God to Whom you pray, you'll want to do it more! In fact, when you understand the power of God summoned when you pray, you'll recognize the absolute necessity of praying! Praying is opening up your heart and your mind to God for His counsel, His wisdom, His direction, His loving discipline, His revelation, His resources, and His strength.
Several years ago, I spent most of my Sunday evenings in a Bible study with a group of middle school girls. One of the things the girls were asked to bring to each meeting was a journal. In the journals, we began to keep a running list of the "attributes of God." May I tell that when you are a seventh grade girl, that phrase usually means something along the lines of "blah, blah, blah, blah, blah?" But I explained to the girls that what this was doing was plugging them into the personality of God. What is God like? When He rescues Daniel from the lion's den, what does that say about Who He is? When He parts the Red Sea so that His children can cross over on dry land, what do you see of His heart? To recognize Who God is builds and strengthens our ability to trust Him and to know that when we bring our struggles to Him, He's able to care for us in the sweetest and most intimate ways and to display His power in ways that take our breath away. And the only ways to know Him more deeply are to spend time in His Word -- His telling of His story and what that means to the world and to your life -- and to "just pray." When you know the character of the One you're praying to, that sweet "peace that passes understanding" replaces the fear and worry that the enemy wants you to dwell on.
In our conversation the other night, my son's heart was heavy with the weight of the sorrows of the world. It's easy to get overwhelmed by the hugeness of all that's wrong. So I had to remind him of the easiest way to eat an elephant -- one bite at a time. God didn't call him -- or me or you -- to save the entire world. But He did call us each to be a light in our sphere of influence. Wake up each day with hope in your heart and a prayer on your lips. "God, I want to honor You today by making the world a better place. So let my eyes see needs, and let my hands fulfill those needs with generosity and humility. Let my heart see pain, and let my words speak life and truth into those places. Let me see fear and insecurity, and let me extend acceptance and love and healing. Let me give my time, my talents, and my treasure away in abundance -- for You, O Lord, are my Endless Supply. Let me make a difference. Let my heart and my life reflect Your love and Your character. Let me be an ambassador of the hope I find in You. May my life be a vessel of Your light that pushes back the darkness in my corner of the world. Jesus, I have seen trouble. But I take heart -- YOU have overcome the world!"
I imagine that if a magazine were to be made of humankind, we might find a lot of photos of sadness. The world really is a hard place to be right now, and the proof is only a mouse click or the touch of a remote control away. In a recent conversation with my younger son, he lamented over bringing a brand new baby girl into this crazy world. He mentioned racial tensions, poverty, injustice, loneliness, starvation, childhood illness, and a host of other ginormous problems. He wrapped up his comments by saying, "All I can do is pray and give money...It's silly that I can't do more."
My first response to that sweet son of mine was to remind him where he is -- and where he's going. As far as where he is -- life on earth -- Jesus Himself pretty much just laid it out there. "In this world, YOU WILL HAVE TROUBLE. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33b) First part of that verse -- wow, Jesus! Second biggest understatement of the ages! AND second part of that verse -- wow, Jesus! FIRST biggest understatement of the ages! Life on earth is difficult -- more so for some than for others. In the course of a simple, "easy" life, there are heartaches and disappointments, loss of loved ones, failing health -- things common to the human condition. But for a huge proportion of the world's population, suffering is a constant in their lives -- abuse, chronic illness, war, human trafficking -- and the list goes on. Every believing heart longs for what's right and good.
And every believing heart can be comforted in knowing that such a place exists -- but we're not there yet. In Revelation, John heard and recorded the words that are the hope of every despairing heart. "And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be his people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be NO MORE death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.' He Who was seated on the throne said, 'I am making everything new!' Then He said,'Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.'" (Revelation 21:3-5) Jesus HAS overcome the world, and one day, we'll see His full and perfect work revealed. This isn't Heaven, but it's coming!
"All I can do is pray." Oh, my goodness! Then DO IT! Do you understand the power in "just praying?!" If you know the God to Whom you pray, you'll want to do it more! In fact, when you understand the power of God summoned when you pray, you'll recognize the absolute necessity of praying! Praying is opening up your heart and your mind to God for His counsel, His wisdom, His direction, His loving discipline, His revelation, His resources, and His strength.
Several years ago, I spent most of my Sunday evenings in a Bible study with a group of middle school girls. One of the things the girls were asked to bring to each meeting was a journal. In the journals, we began to keep a running list of the "attributes of God." May I tell that when you are a seventh grade girl, that phrase usually means something along the lines of "blah, blah, blah, blah, blah?" But I explained to the girls that what this was doing was plugging them into the personality of God. What is God like? When He rescues Daniel from the lion's den, what does that say about Who He is? When He parts the Red Sea so that His children can cross over on dry land, what do you see of His heart? To recognize Who God is builds and strengthens our ability to trust Him and to know that when we bring our struggles to Him, He's able to care for us in the sweetest and most intimate ways and to display His power in ways that take our breath away. And the only ways to know Him more deeply are to spend time in His Word -- His telling of His story and what that means to the world and to your life -- and to "just pray." When you know the character of the One you're praying to, that sweet "peace that passes understanding" replaces the fear and worry that the enemy wants you to dwell on.
In our conversation the other night, my son's heart was heavy with the weight of the sorrows of the world. It's easy to get overwhelmed by the hugeness of all that's wrong. So I had to remind him of the easiest way to eat an elephant -- one bite at a time. God didn't call him -- or me or you -- to save the entire world. But He did call us each to be a light in our sphere of influence. Wake up each day with hope in your heart and a prayer on your lips. "God, I want to honor You today by making the world a better place. So let my eyes see needs, and let my hands fulfill those needs with generosity and humility. Let my heart see pain, and let my words speak life and truth into those places. Let me see fear and insecurity, and let me extend acceptance and love and healing. Let me give my time, my talents, and my treasure away in abundance -- for You, O Lord, are my Endless Supply. Let me make a difference. Let my heart and my life reflect Your love and Your character. Let me be an ambassador of the hope I find in You. May my life be a vessel of Your light that pushes back the darkness in my corner of the world. Jesus, I have seen trouble. But I take heart -- YOU have overcome the world!"