Hand it Over, but Stop Taking it Back

(Read Romans 15)

Conflict is brutal. It cuts deep to the core of our being. When we’re going through it, nothing looks good, sounds good, tastes good, feels good. It’s overwhelming. This may sound like an over simplification, but when we’re going through it, there are two options; we accept that we’re in the middle of something bad, we trust and rely on God to help us through it; or we become a victim to it and it becomes our master.

When things are going right in our lives, we tend to be self-sufficient and put God on the backburner. Success makes us feel like we’re not only in control of our status, but we’re also responsible for it. A close relative of my wife spent some time with me this morning talking about her faith, her struggles, and her victories as a child of God. “When I go through bad times, it brings out His importance.” As we examined her responses to her life challenges that God puts in front of her, she added, “In my life, I try to praise him at all times. I pray about letting go, but it keeps coming back.”

It’s not our role as children of God to understand what or why our Heavenly father puts things in our lives, but it’s our duty to trust that it’s for His good. Easier said than done.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13

It has been said that the first 11 chapters of Romans are about what God has done to provide us salvation and the last 5 chapters tell us how we should respond. As a Christian, we should be hopeful, but not with just a little hope, we should have overflowing hope, fully abundant hope. God doesn’t reward us with joy, peace, and hope because of our actions. It’s not even because of our belief in him. Pastor J.D. Greear said the Christian life should be viewed from the standpoint of working from acceptance not toward it. Most other faiths teach: If we obey, God will accept us. Our Gospel teaches that God has accepted us, therefore we obey.

My relative unveiled more about her problems with her neighbor. She’ll go nights without sleep. She’s exhausted her energy doing everything possible to please them. “I am so worried about their happiness and what they think of me.” After a year of this painful conflict, she had a realization. “I’ve turned them into an idol. I’ve put them before other things. I’ve placed their favor on a pedestal.” I’ve seen how torn she has become over this ordeal. It’s eating her up. She added, “We’re supposed to be living water, but this idol is blocking my living water. Only through God’s word and prayer, did I realize this.” If we give our troubles to God, we must trust Him and not take them back.

Paul, the writer of Romans, urged believers to be strong, visible examples of what it looks like to have Christ inside of us. He did not say we should please others in the way others dictate. He taught that we are to please our neighbor as God dictates.

“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:20

“I was Driving down a hilly road in mid-winter in the northeast. I hit an icy patch, and I spun completely around,” she said. “I had no control and could’ve been killed,” she added. “God help me,” she screamed. And he did. After the spin, my relative hit a grassy area, and she came out of her spin and continued driving. She was 16 and it was the first time she remembered thanking God for anything.

This wonderful woman I’m writing about is a humble wife and mom. I’m not sure I’ve ever heard her curse, attack, or disparage others. She glows kindness and grace. If you met her at a grocery store or neighborhood picnic but didn’t know her well, you would think that she’s never had a bad day in her life. You might conclude that she doesn’t know the meaning of adversity. This isn’t because she’s a Pollyanna — she’s not. But if you spend a few minutes talking with her, you can see Jesus Christ, alive and well. She beams his calm, peace, and love in a truthful way.

“I became conscious of God’s goodness and his active protection in my life when I was 28,” she admitted. Continuing, she said, “I realized that he was actively helping me make good decisions, helping steer me away from bigger problems in my life.” She grew up in a church as a choice of her family, but she felt it was time to pick a place of worship based on her own walk with Jesus. She needed a place to meet her where she was. “As I matured, I was having more conversations with friends about God’s presence in our lives and started pouring into His word.” It was a bold step for her. The Holy Spirit led her to this place in her life.

What I’ve learned from her over the past 30 years or so is that God is always with us, through the good times and tragedies. He won’t cure all our ills or smooth the pavement in front of us, but his big shoulders are ever present. He gives us consolation and hope. God knows our path, and like any good father, his love is unconditional.

As she matured in her faith, she became more familiar with God’s word. If you want to be grounded in your faith, feel God’s love, to have a closer relationship with him, study his word. “I’m active in a meaningful Bible study with open and honest believers. We hold each other accountable.” She went on to describe how much she’s grown from her faith community. By sharing their struggles, praying and studying together, she said she’s better equipped to face her own personal trials. “We’re reading the Bible in a year. Wow. I have so much to learn still. But, the more I learn, the more I realize how much more there is to know.”

I asked her how she she endured the low points of her life. “When my Dad was dying of cancer, when my husband lost his job, and when my son was dealing with the demons of substance abuse, I leaned on God.” She was a firestorm inside, but to me, she was the same loving, kind, and genuine soul. When she was dealing with stress of her husband being out of work, they got on their knees and prayed. When facing the agonies and problems of a child’s addiction, they turned to God, not for magic solutions, but for guidance, patience, and strength. “We knew we couldn’t rescue him. We prayed for God to help.” This blew me away. What brilliant Christian insight. Redemption is up to Jesus, not us. We need to leave what is God’s to God.

“In the midst of my pain, I kept singing ‘Come to Jesus, sing to Jesus, fall on Jesus, cry to Jesus, dance for Jesus, fly to Jesus and live.'”

My relative is hugely impacted by her current Pastor. “He really preaches to my heart,” she happily exclaimed. “Through his open testimony, his messages, my Bible study, and the support of my faith community, I am gaining reassurance. I learn from others’ struggles and solutions. But truly being in God’s word has been hugely instrumental in my life.”

She was at our wedding, she welcomed us to our new home, she was at my Baptism, she’s a constant source of inspiration and God’s wisdom in my life. I am such a richer person because of her faith. Because of Christ’s spirit in her, the world is a better place.

When asked how she leads others to Christ, she replied, “I try to focus other believers on the importance of God’s word. I also routinely encourage them to pray.” When she encounters non-believers or strangers who are visibly struggling, she engages. “Have you prayed about it? How can I pray for you?” she’ll ask. “I tell someone who is struggling what helped me. Hand it over.”

“‘“The Lord bless you
and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace.”’
Numbers 6:24-26

Key Applications:

1. Read this verse a few times. Let it sink in. Pray about it. Align yourself with what God is telling you through this. These verses are God’s desire for His people. For us. What more do we need? God’s desire is to bless us, protect us, and to save us. By accepting Jesus Christ, we receive His blessing.
2. Do you know people who seem impervious to pain and struggles? Chances are they’re feeling everything we do and more. Look to positive, grounded, and peaceful people in your life as sources of light. Engage with them. Find out what gives them their light.
3. Through your struggles in life, do you feel Jesus’ presence with you? He knows the deepest and darkest times. Do you ignore him when the sun is shining and you’re feeling fine? Do you only look to him when you’re up against the wall? Consider what Jesus said in Matthew 28:20. He is ALWAYS with us from our first day to our last. He will be with us in eternity, if we let him. Watch “The Blessing” video on YouTube. Don’t just feel the energy from the live video, feel the welcoming love. Sing aloud the chorus. “The Lord turns his face towards you and gives you peace.”

 

Where else in your life can you live out the teachings of Christ? Look for next week’s Devotion.