Tag hope

So Easy, But So Hard!

rebecca klein 2 Comments

I remember the first time I came across the scripture in Romans 7:15, when Paul expresses his struggle with sin saying, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do, but what I hate, I do.”  As a young Christian and a young girl, I remember thinking, “Yes!! Awesome! That’s me too!”  It was such a relief to learn that I was not alone in my struggle.  Not only was there someone else who experience the same inner battle, but it was Paul!  I mean Paul was a big deal.  Apostle of Jesus Christ and writer of more than half the New Testament, Paul was not just anyone, he was a big kahuna (spiritually speaking) and yet he found himself confounded by his own sinful behavior and choices, just like me.

Fast forward a whole bunch of years, although I have aged in years and wisdom and grown in my faith and walk with Christ, unfortunately, I still find myself relating to that scripture.  Back then it was a blessed revelation that brought reassurance, but now it is a source of frustration for me. I’m over it!  I feel like I should be past that by now, right?  I should be doing what I want to do, and not doing what I don’t want to do.  It should be the opposite of Paul’s scripture by now, shouldn’t it?  I am not so sure.  Again, that was Paul who penned those words; who I am to imagine that I would be farther along than Paul?

So this morning I was reading in the book of Leviticus, where God gives the Law through Moses to the Israelites, His people. I am always amazed at how specific the Law is.  Yet, I realize that is because God was instructing His children in a way that would guide them and protect them, keeping them safe.  It was for their own good.  The whole book of Leviticus is filled with these detailed instructions.  Then near the end of the book, God lays out the consequences for either obeying or disobeying the Law, and the breakdown is pretty simple–obey the Law and you will be blessed; disobey the Law, and you will be punished.  It is so clear and seems so easy, a no-brainer.  If I am an Israelite, I would want blessings, not punishment, so I will obey, right?  Right.  And yet, the Old Testament is filled with account after account of the Israelite’s disobedience against the Lord.  They disobeyed over and over again, and ultimately suffered painful judgment and punishment for it, just like the Lord had said.  As clear and easy as it had seemed, the Israelites struggled to obey.

I think sometimes we modern-day Christians read through the Bible and feel inclined to judge the Israelites for their disobedience.  Why didn’t they just listen to God?!  How could they do “that” again?!  Don’t they know??  I know I would have done better than them…it was so easy and clear, of course I would have obeyed.  Or would I?

As I read through God’s Word and reflect on the history of God’s people, I am keenly aware of how much I am like them…and forgive me for saying so–you are too.  We fail and disobey as often as they did.  And I would have to think that we actually have it easier than they did.  In our time, we have the Bible to guide us and the living presence of the Holy Spirit, and yet we still disobey as well.  I still find myself right alongside Paul saying, “I just don’t understand myself!  Why do I do those things I don’t want to do, and don’t do those things I desperately want to do!!  God help me!”  I could have given those Israelites a run for their money!  I am pretty sure I would have ended up in Babylon too.

So where is my hope, and our hope, in all of this?  Once again, it is in God’s Word.  Thankfully, and as always, the scripture does not end with just questions.  There are always answers.  All the way through, this is true.  I love it in the Psalms when David cries out to God in despair, questioning his circumstances and his pain, that he always comes back to the solid truth that God is sovereign and in control, and our hope is in Him.  The same is true for Paul, and for us, in the book of Romans.  Paul may have started out by asking those questions of himself about his own sinful choices and behavior, but he ends that same passage with a statement of hope and deliverance.  He concludes, “What a wretched man I am!  (boy, can I relate!) Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?  Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” There is our hope–in Christ.  We are not lost to this endless struggle with sin, because with His death on the cross and resurrection from the grave, Jesus delivered us from it!  Because I have put my faith in Christ, I am delivered from my sin.  Praise God!

Yet, as long as we are on this earth, on this side of glory, we will still struggle with sin.  But we struggle with the hope of knowing that sin and death are conquered in Christ, and that because of His power in us, we get closer and closer to glory each day.  On many days, I can still relate to Paul’s angst, but I know with confidence that the struggle is different than it once was, and God’s work in me has made me stronger in Him.  So, I may still be an Israelite, but I choose blessing, and I am heading to the Promised Land!  I hope you are too!

It was the Best of Times, it was the Worst of Times

rebecca klein 1 Comment

Lately, I have found it difficult to answer a very simple question. “How are you?” is a polite question that is commonly asked in a casual greeting and should not be hard to answer. Yet, for me, it has been a struggle of late. Depending on my perspective in the moment, my answer could be one of two extremes. Because right now, in this season, it truly feels like Charles Dickens said in the opening line of his famous novel, A Tale of Two Cities, “It was the best of times, and it was the worst of times.”

You see, on any given day, there are many terrible things that are happening in the world around us, globally, locally and individually. COVID continues not only to linger on, but seems to have spawned monster offspring in the variants that are spreading like wildfire all around us. People are sick, hospitals are filled, and lives are lost every day. It is depressing, and after a year and a half, we are all weary of this viral battle. But then on top of that, our country continues to proliferate its own battle of opposing views about how to respond to the first battle. Communities, families and friends are divided on the issues surrounding the debate, and media of every kind feeds on the contention. And this is only one of the “terrible things” that truly make this season feel like the worst of times. There are so many more burdens we carry and battles we face day after day.

So if things are so bad, which they are, how can it also be the best of times? The answer is perspective—how we look at things. The older I get, the more I realize that so much of our response to life has to do with our perspective. The bottom line is that we can choose how we look at things and what we focus on. We may not be able to choose or control what we face in this life, but we can choose our perspective. It is up to me—and you—whether I will spend my time and energy focusing on the worst around me, or look for the best. And I promise you, there is “the best” to find.

No matter how dark and depressing things may seem, there is always something good in this world and in this life. I know, I know, I can hear it now—some of the diehard pessimists quickly questioning my assertion that the proverbial silver lining does actually exist. But I continue to assert with confidence that it does, IF you are willing to see it. You have to change your perspective. You have to look for it, and you have to want to first. It takes intentionality, but good can be found.

Discovering the best of times may be as simple as beholding the beauty in God’s creation, or expressing gratitude for the gifts of life we too often take for granted–like seeing, hearing, walking or breathing. When we look harder, we might find even more blessings in our world and lives that we failed to notice while we were consumed by the terrible circumstances happening around us. We might remember that friend who always makes us laugh or the family member who is there for us when we need it most. We might think about a favorite pet who brings us joy. These are just simple examples, but when we focus on all that we have, rather than what we do not, we realize there is more there then we thought. In the Bible, James 1:17 tells us that “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” We can find so many good gifts God has given us when we open our eyes and hearts to see them.

Not only that, but when we envision even our most terrible circumstances from a biblical perspective, we also have the joy of finding that the “worst of times” are ultimately used for our good. So either way, we do not have to be lost in despair when we choose to shift our perspective. Romans 8:28 tells us, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” For those of us who are followers of Christ, when we love Him and are called to His purpose, we have this promise that God will work ALL things for our good. This is an amazing promise!! In His Word, God is declaring to us that everything we face in this life—the good, bad and the ugly, of which we have an awful lot right now—will be used to accomplish good things for us. Imagine what that promise can do for our perspective. What if we choose to focus on that truth, rather than the terrible things happening around us or to us?

I believe that if we shift our focus, look for the good in this life and remember that even the bad can bring us good that we can have a revival in our thinking and feeling. So next time someone asks me, “How are you today, Rebecca?”, I can confidently reply, “Times are tough, but I am blessed.” How you respond will have everything to do with which perspective you choose. I hope you choose to see the good.