A Lesson I Need to Learn; A Sermon I Preach to Myself

How often do we find ourselves in situations that are not exactly what we would have chosen? And how often do we complain about those situations to our friends and family? I suppose the better question would be, how much do we LOVE complaining about our situations to our friends and family? If you're anything like me..you probably complain and whine about how bad life is a lot. But how often do we fall to our knees and bring it before our Father in heaven through prayer? If you're anything like me, not enough.

In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song;
this Cornerstone, this solid Ground,
firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
when fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All,
here in the love of Christ I stand.

We love to sing these words during worship. Yet how many times do we heed the words being sung by us and by our brothers and sisters around us? Yes. Things may be rough. Situations may be dire. But things aren't as bad as they seem. Christ has overcome the world! Whatever the situation may be, it will resolve itself! God promises us that! So, if we believe that, why do we still complain as if things couldn't get any worse?

In Christ alone! who took on flesh
Fulness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones he came to save:
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid;
Here in the death of Christ I live.

We take out our frustration at the world on our loved ones. We treat them like they are the cause of our pain and our struggles. When what we need to do, is to step back and realize that maybe they are there for our help. They are there to help us. God has put them in our life to help us carry our burden. But instead of humbly accepting the help, we spit in their face. And we complain about how hard our life is. And we talk about how life isn't fair. What, I ask, is not fair about the life we have? The life that God Himself gave us. The Lord giveth and taketh away, yet I will say, BLESSED be Your Name. Things are tough. When a soldier is given an order, do you think that he complains about it? Or if he is in the middle of the unforgiving desert that he talks to his fellow soldiers about how terrible it is for him to be there? Absolutely not! Because his fellow soldier is right there in the same desert. We are soldiers of Christ, called to action. We are at war. Things are never going to be easy. The sonner we learn to accept this fact and move on, the better.

Yet there is hope!

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain:
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave he rose again!
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His and He is mine -
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

Yes, of course we are at war, but we are in a war that has already been won! We know the outcome! We know where we are headed, and what Christ has prepared for us! Sure things are hard, but rejoice!! Paul says in his letter to the Romans that "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be reveal in us." [Romans 8:18] Be encouraged, fellow soldiers in Christ! Yes! Things are hard, but just think of the reward! Eternity in heaven! Think about that for a minute.





No really THINK about it.




Eternity.




In heaven.





Amazing isn't it? Well, at least it is for me. Forever with the people that I love the most, and most importantly, with our Father. So..what are we really gaining by telling our neighbor how bad our life is? Or by even THINKING about how bad our life is! What have we gained? Well. We have discouraged whoever it is we told, and we have also discouraged ourselves. Rather than talking about how terrible things are, why not just say how amazing our life is? We are going to heaven, kids. Heaven.


No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath.
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.

My life is amazing. I am going to heaven. I am loved by my Father, and I love you. My life is amazing.