MID-WEEK MUSINGS 11.13.08
Friends,
Well, how are you doing today? Seriously, how are you? Watch the news, and they’ll tell you how bad the economy is. And the number of piracy attacks east of Africa is rising. And there is still no cure for cancer. And childhood-obesity is rising. And the auto industry is collapsing. And the war in Iraq. And the war in Afghanistan. And job losses are rising. And…well, you can fill in the rest, can’t you?
Now bring it closer to home…what do you know about the greater Big Island area? I can think of words like cancer, unemployed, poor, hungry, lonely, ill, stressed, etc. Think of all the problems we have here just in Big Island! I mean, you could name them, couldn’t you? So, what do we do about it? What are you doing about it?
I was listening to someone on the radio yesterday, and was reminded that just to take a breath, just to be alive is a tremendous blessing. I don’t know about you, but I needed to hear that. I am keenly aware of so many burdens in our community right now. In fact, at times it is suffocating to the point I don’t know which way to turn. With all the bad news in the world, what can you do? With all the bad news in Big Island, what can you do? And this is the danger…we get caught up in all the bad news, we just figure there’s nothing we can do, so let’s just be down.
And yet, if we are believers, if we are Christians, if we are truly alive in Christ, I mean truly alive in Christ, then shouldn’t we have some joy right there?! No one who finds life in Christ in the scriptures walked away sad. Is it possible to truly have Christ in your heart and be sad? Yes, but…does that mean we live in that world? Do you know anyone that can find the negative in anything? Have you had times in your life when no matter what was going on, you found yourself feeling down about everything? I know I have. And yet, as I have listened to all the doom and gloom over the economy, the world, the election, the church, and everything else, I find myself caught up a little in it, and then I get mad at myself for letting this pull me down.
So today, Thursday, while it is cloudy and rainy and gloomy and you can think of all the things going wrong in your life, think about one other thing…”Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy…” – 1 Peter 1.8 (NIV)
I’ll be preaching on Genesis 3.8-24 and asking the question “Are You Coming or Going?” Hope to see you there!
Blessings
Pastor Bryon
