I have a longtime friend, a fellow minister, who has worked most of his career in large churches, first as a volunteer youth leader, then a youth pastor, then an associate, then senior pastor. Our friendship goes beyond shop talk, but he has always been a great resource and sounding board. One of the things that I have always appreciated about our friendship is that whenever I am facing something difficult, he has “been there and done that”, and usually on steroids, as it were.
Sometimes, when we are facing certain struggles, one of the best things we can do is talk to someone who has been through it before. I hasten to point out that we should specifically seek out those who have experienced victory in the areas we struggle with. Comforting as it is to hear “that’s okay, you’re not the only one,” sometimes that can lead to defeatism and complacency.
As we approach Resurrection Sunday, I think of all the miracles Jesus did during His earthly ministry, and all the words He spoke. He addressed the fears that plague humanity, didn’t he? Hunger? He fed the thousands. Disease? He healed the multitudes. Disaster? He calmed the storm. Loneliness? He promised His abiding presence. Financial difficulties? Go pull a coin out of that fish’s mouth. Even creepy-crawlies; He told us we would tread upon serpents and scorpions…
There is nothing we face that God has not already prepared victory for us. Nowhere we are going that He hasn’t already been.
I was listening to a comedian talking about people who treat every conversation like a contest; they wait until you are done telling a story just so they can jump in and tell a better one about themselves. This comic said the best thing he could imagine was to be one of the 12 men who had walked on the surface of the moon, just so he could wait until some braggart got done with his story and say, casually, “I walked on the moon.”
Jesus is certainly no braggart. For one thing, as Dizzy Dean said, “It ain’t bragging if you can do it.” But sometimes I picture Jesus listening to us, to me – while I unload my concerns. Deep down I know God can do anything. Nothing is too difficult for God. And I know He hears my prayers, and I know He has made many great and precious promises, and I know that through faith and patience we inherit the promises… And after all these years, sometimes the circumstances can seem overwhelming, and I lay them before the Father in the form of a prayer, and tie it all up with an “amen.” Then Jesus, patiently waiting until I’m done, looks at me, smiles, and says, “I rose from the dead.”
And I remember what He did. He really DID feed the masses, heal the sick, calm the storm, etc. He also raised the dead! AND HE ROSE FROM THE DEAD HIMSELF! It is that, the resurrection, that above all removes every excuse for unbelief and fear. The promises Jesus makes to us in this life are great and precious, but they pale in comparison to the promise that “because I live, you also shall live”. But even for the here and now, the fact that He promised to rise from the dead and kept THAT promise makes it easier to believe every other promise. Makes every mountain look moveable, every fight look winnable.
Even if you love adventure and challenges; even if you relish in facing the unknown, don’t get into the habit of charging into new adventures unescorted. Always go through life with the One who’s been there and done that. The One who is the Way is the only one who can show you the way.
Happy Resurrection Day!
