Resurrection Day is near. Not just Easter as it appears on our calendar, but the ultimate Resurrection Day.
Resurrection should be a symbol of hope, yet, much of what we see around us involves heartache and pain. The world seems to be falling apart. It’s hard to make sense of things. So, how can believers in Christ live in light of God’s truth about resurrection?
Pollyanna & Resurrection Day
I recently heard something on the radio about Pollyanna. Somehow in all the reading I did as a kid, I had never read the book. So, I only knew the slightly pejorative expression about the foolishness of being a “Pollyanna.” But I realized that the real Pollyanna was not being unrealistic about her situation. Rather, she was choosing to see the good in spite of her hardships. And isn’t that what believers in Christ should do?
Paul told us to “Rejoice always!” (1 Thess. 5.16). And in Philippians, one of the prison epistles, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” (Phil. 4.4).
Notice that little word always in both of those verses.
I don’t know what you’re going through. I’ll be the first to admit that some things are hard. Very hard. There are sicknesses and losses. There are hurts and disappointments. There is pain. And there is suffering.
There is persecution, prejudice (all kinds), and just plain meanness.
There is danger from terrorists, school shooters, package bombers, and unknown assailants.
And we all want answers. How could this happen? How could that keep happening? How can we stop it? Why? Who is to blame?
It’s not wrong to look for answers, but the ultimate answer can only be found where few are looking.
You see, Jesus told us these times were coming.
And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet (Matt. 24.6).
He went on to say there would be persecution, that believers would be despised and hated, that lawlessness would abound, and that basic human love would grow cold (Matt. 24.9-12).
And Paul reminded us of the challenging times humanity would face.
1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God (2 Tim. 3.1-4).
Some of those words seem especially fitting given our recent headlines. Words like blasphemers, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, brutal …
So why be hopeful? Surely, not even Pollyanna could find hope in all that.
Yet, Jesus compared all this to birth pains. And for believers, life is all about new birth. It’s only by being born again and made a new creation that we enter the Christian life (Jn. 3.3; 2 Cor. 5.17). But the hope of new beginnings doesn’t end there.
We’re told that God’s mercies are new every morning.
21 Yet I still dare to hope
when I remember this:22 The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
His mercies never cease.
23 Great is his faithfulness;
his mercies begin afresh each morning.
24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance;
therefore, I will hope in him!” (Lam. 3.21-24 NLT).
We enjoy the new beginning of forgiveness and cleansing when we sin.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 Jn. 1.9).
But those are not the only new beginnings. Jesus went on in Matthew 24 to say:
29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
One day He will gather us up. It doesn’t matter if you believe in a pre-tribulation rapture. mid-trib or post-trib, any way you shake a stick at it … resurrection is coming!
16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words (1 Thess. 4.16-18).
So, even in the midst of these birth pains. Even in a world where trouble and sorrow are a reality, we can find comfort in the truth that resurrection is near.
Living in Light of Resurrection
So, how can we live in light of that truth now?
We need to rehearse these truths. We need to talk about them. Meditate on them. We need to remember.
We need to live like we believe them. We don’t need to push back, defend ourselves, or live on the defense. We need to overcome evil with good (Rom. 12.21).
Paul went on in the Philippians 4 passage we read:
5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
Because the Lord is at hand and He is watching over us, we can afford to be gentle with everyone.
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
We don’t need to be anxious about anything. Instead, we’re to pray about everything and be thankful. Do you pray when you’re tempted to worry or do you fuss and fret and fume? When was the last time you stopped and made a list of those things for which you should be thankful?
7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
When we do, His peace will characterize our lives. Not a peace that comes from living in a trouble-free world, but a peace that exists in spite of trouble.
8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.
But this isn’t a one-time thing. We must continue to think rightly, remember God’s promises, live in light of eternity, believe resurrection is coming, and live life toward others in light of God’s love and gentleness. That includes sharing the gospel with friends and enemies alike.
How do you live in light of resurrection?
Now here’s a round-up of last week’s posts.
Blessings,
Donna
“Remember What, Remember Who, Remember Why”
“10 Steps to Parenting God’s Way”
“How Blame-Shifting Hurts You”
“Are You Trusting God or Working in Your Own Strength?”
“Criticism, Stupidity & the Cross.”
Coming Up in the Daily Posts:
In the coming days on our daily posts, we’ll look at self-righteousness and what can keep us from becoming discouraged. We will, also, look at warnings about fortune tellers and their lot, talk about how trusting God applies to our choices, and discuss when to help (especially our grown children) and when to get out of the way.
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Blessings,
Donna
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