Thursday, August 27, 2020

Pushing Through

On Sunday mornings, we have been going through the book of James in a series called “Little Brother Wisdom”, and it is one of my favorite books of the Bible. James has a way of calling believers back to discipleship and obedience to Christ, and every time I read it I am challenged and convicted. 

The series began with some words from James 1 where he says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” These words go right along with many other times where Scripture teaches us to have faith in the midst of difficult circumstances and persecution. In 1 Peter we read, “In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith---of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire---may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” And even Jesus recognizes the trouble His people will go through. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16)

In recent years I have realized just how easy my life is. Though I may often deal with stresses from work, family, and finances, the reality is that I have it pretty easy. I never have to worry where I will get my next meal; my fridge and pantry are stocked. I never have to travel to find clean water to drink; every tap around has clean water. 

So in recent years, I have put myself in situations to force me to suffer a little in order to learn how to push through. That’s where running ultramarathons started for me. Set a goal to run so far that I know I will want to quit multiple times. This would force me to work through those feelings in order to keep moving forward. A few days ago on my 40th birthday, I ran 40 miles and it was rough. It turned out to be a hot, humid day and I haven’t been training as much this summer. The truth is, if I hadn’t shared it all over social media, I would have probably just quit and enjoyed my day in the air conditioning. 


I say all that because this has been a tough year for all of us. The COVID19 pandemic has caused many trials and difficulties in our lives. Even beyond the vast loss of life to the virus, many have lost jobs, schools have been affected, church has had to shift our plans, and even sports have been cancelled or changed. And it’s hard on us. But it is an opportunity. Like James tells us, we have an opportunity to grow and mature in the midst of this crazy year. 

So how do we keep moving forward when everything seems so bad? A couple thoughts:

  • Grieve. It’s okay to mourn the losses of this year. Whether we’re grieving over the loss of a loved one to this virus, or the loss of jobs, school, sports, etc; we need to take time to grieve. 

  • Pray. God is still with us. In fact, in our most difficult moments, He usually seems the closest. Reach out to Him with your anxieties, your angers, your fears. He will be faithful.

  • Offer Grace. It is understandable to be angry over all of this. But make sure you are directing your frustration at the right things. This virus is something none of us has seen in our lifetimes. The entire world has been affected by this and it’s okay to be angry at it. But don’t direct your anger at others who are doing their best to work through it and make decisions. Give grace to leaders who are making impossible decisions on a nearly daily basis. 

  • Help. Search for ways to be a help to others. If you aren’t financially affected, maybe you can help by buying some food for a local food pantry or buy some supplies for your schools. If you have more time on your hands, look for ways to serve your neighbors to make their lives better through all of this.

This has been a hard year. But we have an opportunity to learn and grow as followers of Jesus as we continue through each day. Don’t miss this chance.


Blessings,

Pastor Regan