A Moment of Reflection

WHEN LIFE IS HARD…

AN ISLAND CHURCH PERSPECTIVE

Geez, things are tough right now. Coming off the last couple of years, it just seems we can’t get a break. We go from one crisis to the next. Going from one season of difficulty to another can take its toll mentally, emotionally, and even physically. Just when you begin to think maybe things are settling down, we now have record inflation, high gas prices, uncertainty in our country and a world that is in chaos.

If this is all what we have to look forward to, it would be no surprise to be overwhelmed with feelings of dread and hopelessness. For crying out loud, I filled my tank yesterday on the way home from being out of town and I nearly fell over because of the almost $100 bill. A visit to the grocery store is just as shocking. Three bags of groceries now run about $80 versus $30 a year ago. Turn on the news and we are facing a world that seems to be falling apart.

Again, if this is all we have to look forward to, it would be natural to feel hopeless. While we must deal with the reality of the world we are living in, we can live with a hope that has been given to us that is eternal. Jesus our Lord said in John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

What was it that Jesus told His disciples so that they might have peace? Jesus told His disciples there was a time coming when they would be with Him no more. They would be weeping and mourning, but their grieving would turn to joy. He told them they would see Him again and no one could take their joy from them. They had something to look forward to that was beyond the here and now. They were given a hope that was eternal.

I am thankful despite the circumstances of this life, I have a hope that carries me from day to day. I am thankful that because of Jesus I have hope for the future. My hope is not based on what this world offers, but on the peace I have in Jesus. Jesus said this in John 10:10: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

If you’re so focused on what’s in front of you and what the world is bringing, you will be swallowed up in trouble. If your hope is in the material things of life alone, then you will find yourself clinging to things that will always leave you wanting.

Years ago, I remember when my focus was on what I had achieved and earned. I had worked hard up the corporate ladder. I was doing rather well. The more I gained, the tighter I held on to keep it all. Worse yet, the more I had, the greater the fear I had of losing it. I think that is how so many people feel with their temporary security of things. The security only lasts if you have the thing that makes you feel secure.

We all know that in this life, things will come and go. When I did come to a place where I nearly lost everything years ago, I felt hopeless. What was I going to do? When I discovered and took hold of Christ, I had found something that was eternal. Something I could never lose. When salvation in Christ was found, I had something that was mine for all eternity. Even though my circumstances may have not change, my heart and mind have changed because of Jesus.

The apostle Paul says it best in Philippians 3:8: “Nothing is as wonderful as knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have given up everything else and count it all as garbage. All I want is Christ…”

Yes, this world is in chaos, but that doesn’t mean you have to be. It may appear that everything might be falling apart around you, but Jesus gives peace to every matter because He is greater than the world’s troubles.

If you haven’t considered Jesus, why not ask Him to become part of your life today? Discover the hope of the world that brings peace amid the trouble of the day we live in. €

THE ISLAND CHURCH

PASTOR PAUL ORTIZ

Paul Ortiz is a follower of Jesus Christ, not religion. A husband and father, he is pastor of The Island Church in Emerald Isle. Reach him at paul@TheIslandChurchEI.org