“Lord, help my thoughts get beyond the struggles of life; and focus on You.”
Spoiler alert. The next few sentences may make you feel unsafe. Please stop reading if you’re having a bad day; but quite frankly, you’d only prove the point.
Jesus said, watch it, “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.” Ouch. Sounds like bubble wrap popping!
He wasn’t done. He went on to say, “Rejoice and be glad” in the midst of the character attacks because you follow Him. He said do this because your reward is in heaven. (Read Matthew 5:11-12.)
Oh no! I’m actually to have the kind of faith that finds joy in the midst of suffering, even unjust suffering? Yup, and it involves taking a risk, which has become a dirty word in the Christian, let alone the secular world.
Risk means going to the store to pick up items for those who need them, hoping not to get hit by another driver, which happened to me. Risk means going to work as a pastor hoping to get paid, only to lose your house because you didn’t, which also happened to me.
Scripture doesn’t promise a risk-free safe zone type of existence. In fact, Hebrews 11:6 states that if we choose to please God we must take the risk that He actually rewards those who earnestly seek Him, which can cause unjust suffering.
Our walks with Jesus are not wrapped in plastic bubbles filled with air. Jesus said His followers would listen to and follow Him. There is simply no way of doing that without getting out of the “safe offensive-free zones.”
In the midst of life’s struggles, let’s do what a good friend of mine told to her grandchildren, “Go dig up some joy!”
People will want the Jesus we love and serve when despite the struggles, despite what others say or do to us, we have a smile on our faces put there by faith.
Be a risk taker. Go find some joy today. You will when you look to Jesus – the author and perfecter of risk takers like you.