“For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on Him but also to suffer for Him” Philippians 1:29 Such an odd joining of thoughts: granted, as in a favor toward me, and the favor is that I am privileged to suffer like Paul for the sake of Christ. Odd. Paul says this sort of thing often, “Consider it all joy when you experience trials of any kind.” In all my years as a pastor I have learned that the holiday season is the best of times and the worst of times. We love to be with our families and laugh and eat and share love, and at the same time we miss those who are no longer with us. It is like crying and laughing at the same time. What we have as believers is the knowledge that we are living our lives “in Christ.” And that makes all the difference. For in Christ we find our hope and our assurance that there is more to us than flesh and blood. In Christ we share the reality that what others see as an end we see as a beginning of a grand new life. In Christ we can feel the wind blow and see the sun rise and are reminded that God is not yet finished with this old world or this old life. In Christ we can rise the next morning and not only believe it will be a good day but actually live out a good day.
That good day starts with believing in Christ. Trust the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Acknowledge Him in all your ways and He will keep your path straight. Good advice for the holiday season.
~Grace & Peace~
Pastor Ernie