Over the past few weeks I have talked with so many people who are carrying such heavy loads – more than normal. I have been more sensitive in our weekly worship gathering to see hollow looks and stressed-out faces.
The reality of life is that we all pass through moments or days or even seasons of difficulty as we journey along the Way. It is a mis-conception to think that by giving our lives to Christ and living for him as best we can, we are no longer going to experience struggles. In fact, most often, the struggles are amplified in some ways because we live in a world in which those of us who strive to honor Jesus with our lives are looked on with condescension or even condemnation.
But I want to encourage you fellow travelers in two ways this morning.
The first is that you are not alone! You are part of a huge family made up of all kinds of people from all walks of life and all parts of the world that are on the same journey and are experiencing the same struggles you face. Sometimes it is helpful to know you are not alone.
But even more important to remember today is that no matter how bleak things may seem today . . . Easter is coming!
Jesus walked this Way 2000 years ago and he was treated with condescension and condemnation. He was pushed to the outskirts of acceptable culture and when he would not go silently into the obscurity, the leaders of his day killed him.
But that was not the end. He rose from the dead and when he did, he conquered death and defeated sin to show us once and for all that we are more than conquerors when we live our lives for him. His triumph gives us hope that he is bigger than any temporary struggle we face.
So today, if you are feeling like there is little in your life that offers hope remember that you are not alone and Easter is coming!
Sometimes we need to remember that fact. God sees you as a soul worth saving – not because of anything you have done but simply because he created you and loves you more than you can ever truly comprehend.
We often forget that fact, do we not. It is only a few steps from the top of the world to the lowest valley. Life is good but it can become a grind if we are not careful. Without proper perspective, the busyness of life becomes one big obligation and instead of living in the realization of the joy life can bring, we see only responsibilities and feel only pressure.
However, along the way he encountered an interruption – over 5000 of them to be exact. He had compassion on the masses, he healed the sick and then he fed all of them before sending them home. Once the crowds were handled, he sent his disciples boating and he resumed his quest to find some solitude on a mountainside where he could pray.
In other words, we are invited into this creative process.
