Challenges

To say that the last few months in the life of our nation have presented unprecedented challenges that most of us have not seen in our lifetimes would be an understatement. We are glued to the television to hear the latest economic news. What has the stock market done today? What company is laying off more workers? We dread the mail because there are more bills to pay. We dread the mail even more when we get the latest report on our 401(k)’s and our retirement benefits that are shrinking rather than growing. These are scary times. We do not envy President Obama, the Obama administration, or our Congress that all face these and other challenging issues day by day (so we also need to lift them up in prayer!)

We face these challenges and even more: challenges of health, family relationships, children, and faith in a troubled time. Even still, it helps to keep things in perspective. Most of us still have food on the table every night, more than we need or could eat, while many in the world still go hungry. Most of us can go out to get into the cars we still have to drive to the grocery store, to our jobs, or to the doctor, while many in the world still walk wherever they need to go, and they do not have a grocery store, or employment, or a doctor within their region, much less their neighborhood.

While we fret over our decreased wealth and tightened budgets, it would help for us to remember how good we still have it. Even in the toughest of times, we are not yet reaching the turmoil of the Great Depression that some of our church members can recall. And even if some of us are experiencing circumstances that shake our foundations, such as losing a job or mounting bills, we are still part of a community that should care for one another. In Jerusalem at the beginning of the church, the early Christians made sure that all were cared for, that no one went hungry, and that widows and children had what they needed. This early model reinforces what Jesus said in Matthew 25: “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me…Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”

In challenging times, Christians are given the additional challenge of being voices of hope in a despairing world. For if we aren’t being positive about our trust and hope in God, who will be? If we aren’t being rays of light for a world in darkness, who will be? If we fill our lives with negativity and if we only see the gloom and doom, how can we expect anyone else to see the light of day? After all, we know that the things of this world are temporary, but Christ and faith and grace are eternal. The Apostle Paul encouraged people who were feeling defeated by saying: “For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:17-18). We must band together and remember the promises of Christ that we are never alone, we are never out of his sight, and we are never without his mercy and love.

To combat the challenges of this present time, we must immerse ourselves in prayer, worship, and Scripture. Come to worship every Sunday to let the Spirit of God wash over you and remind you that you are his. Come to God in prayer to deepen your relationship with our living and loving God who provides what we need. Come to know our grace-filled Lord who promises us through Scripture: “Cast all your anxieties on God because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). (Put that verse on your refrigerator or bathroom mirror!) Our present circumstances may challenge us, but God is more than ready and able to meet them with us!

Laugh, live, and celebrate God’s love,
Oliver