We do not lose heart

Good morning my friends. There is little doubt that each of us have moments in our life when we feel overwhelmed, when we would rather run away instead of facing this thing that threatens to destroy us. Sometimes this feeling is due to a situation that seems to have no solution. Other times it is a simple case of workload. Still other times it is due to duration of a problem or amount of work in our lives. Whatever the cause, none of us should ever feel that we are the only one who faces such days; we all do.

It is especially important on these days to remember who we belong to and verify that this relationship with Jesus is strong and vibrant. We need to always keep in mind that God's plan is bigger than this moment or even this day. God's intention for us is more than what we are feeling right now; that this moment will pass like all the other moments of our life but Jesus will still be here. Jesus will still be here and he will be the same as he has always been. His unchangeable character is the reason we can feel secure in the best and the worst of times.

It is also important on these days to remember that Jesus is so much more than we realize or can even imagine. From a very simple sentence in Hebrews 7, the mystery and wonder of Jesus is presented:

Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God he remains a priest forever. (Hebrews 7:3)

Too often we limit the existence of Jesus to his manifestation here on earth. We forget that he was sent by the Father and that Mary was only a means for Jesus to enter into our history, the Creator as the creation, but Jesus is so much more than this:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it... The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1-5, 14)

Jesus had no mother or father, he had no beginning and he has no end. He has always been and will always be. He gave up all that he had and all that he was to rescue us. He faced and experienced death, the one that has always been, and overcame that death for you and me. He has been changed for all eternity, no longer simply spirit but now being housed in a resurrected body, the same as what we will be clothed in. If he was willing to face pain and death for us, to be transformed for all eternity, do you not realize he is willing to see you through these moments of your life?

When I have moments like this, when things threaten to overwhelm me, I turn to some encouraging words from Paul to put things in perspectve:

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

That is the real secret to surviving these "light and momentary" things that we face; get your eyes fixed on who Jesus is, who he really is. He is more than the Sunday School Jesus you have learned about. He is more than the guy who died on the cross and disappeared from his grave. He is more than the dude who walked on water and turned water into wine. Jesus is the "who was, and is and is to come". Jesus is the great "I AM". He is the instrument of all creation. And he is the one who gave up his life for you. Think about that next time you need a little perspective on things and need to find the motivation to push on. Jesus has promised never to leave you or forsake you. Trust him.