In our last two weeks in corporate Sunday morning meetings, Pastor Dave has challenged us to make a list of "the things freely given to us by God" (see 1 Corinthians 2:12). Have you done that yet? May I suggest that our individual lists may include:
1. Peace for my past. Do you have failures of the past that nag you, decisions you made that, looking back think, ummmm--"What was I thinking?" Steve Backlund in "Igniting Faith," says, "I propose that a 'God Moment' that has great effect in our lives is when we fail or have experiences that do not line up with the promises of God." His declaration out of this Truth is: "I rejoice in apparent times of failure." We are freely given release from those hauntings of our past, those nagging "failures," that our Father in heaven "turns around for good." What good? Well, I've learned that my identity isn't based on what I've done (I am not a failure! Or, from the movie, "The Kid," "I am not a loooooser!!!"). No, but what does our Heavenly Father say about us? We are His children, if we have received Christ Jesus. We are made in His image. Out of being in His family, and out of His image, nothing is impossible with God!
2. Vibrant joy in my present life. You may say, "But you don't know what I have to live with right now!" And you are right; I don't know. But I would say to this, our experiencing joy isn't based on wonderful circumstances. Do you believe this? Remember Paul and Silas in the jail in Philippi? Beaten with rods for no reason, thrown into prison, fastened with stocks... But they read the sign, "No Whining." They sang. Yup, sang. Not a funeral song, or a "Woe is me!" dirge. "Praying and singing hymns to God." And later Paul wrote to this church, telling them, "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" (Phil. 4:4) Did Paul have a right to exhort them to live in joy in every circumstance?
