Tag Archives: Romans 14:8

Happy is the one who trusts

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Happy is the man who trusts in The Lord. Psalm 40:4

Happy is the one who never loses faith in me. Matthew 11:6

 

What words come to mind when you think of being happy? Probably you think of peace, serenity, security, trust. We naturally desire these. And yet, while we all seek happiness, we so easily put ourselves in fretful situations where we are sure not to find it!

 

There were certainly times when trust is a challenge. In my cancer journey I was quite familiar with Romans 14:8: Live or die, I win because Jesus is Lord. But what about the in between time when it seems, this is not real living nor death?  That’s when trust is harder, isn’t it? In those times we worry, we fret, we analyze and try to sketch an escape route from our pain. We fight to gain control over what we can never control. We are anything but happy.

 

Sometimes hearing a certain diagnosis brings people so quickly to the very end of their rope they desperately reach out to grasp the only faithful hand, God’s. Others suddenly come to the awareness of the truth of God in such a resilient way, they trust Him inherently. Some who have not built trust in God during times of plenty find it immensely difficult to trust Him in times when everything seems taken away. But it is possible.

 

Big faith or small, we build on the measure of faith given to us. (Romans 12:3) Our trust in people is earned in small measures at first, isn’t it? As you come to trust someone consistently in small ways, that trust grows to bear the weight of heavier matters. Someone who has been faithful in great things bears your deeper trust. And so it is with God. If we can trust “He who did not spare His own Son but gave him freely for us” (Romans 8:32) can’t we trust Him for our daily challenges? If you trust Him with your eternal life, doesn’t it make sense to believe His Word to be true for today’s struggles?

 

If you find it hard to trust God for the outcomes of your problems, look to a moment at a time when you found Him faithful. Ask Him to show Himself to you and trust Him for a glimpse of His greatness. You don’t have to endure your whole life right now. Trust Him to honor His word to give you grace, one moment at a time. It will be an imperfect and awkward dance if you are not used to it. It will seem that you are always wanting to take the lead. But trust a little. And as you find assurance, trust some more. Let God build your trust and find a certain contented happiness that satisfies more than what we find in this world.

 

 

Optimist or pessimist?

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Billy Graham was once asked in an interview, “Are you an optimist or a pessimist?” Graham responded quickly, “I’m an optimist.” The reporter pursued: “Why is that?” Graham answered, “I’ve read the last page of the Bible!”

One of the verses I carried in my heart as I went to the hospital for chemotherapy last year was Romans 14:8.
“If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.” I thought of it as:
Live OR Die. One of my sisters gave me a book based on the same verse. It is called “Either Way I Win!” That verse has guided me over the years in a number of Live OR Die situations.

It’s not hard to be an optimist when you know the end of the story is secure, when you know you’re in for an adventure either in the here and now or eternity. Do I have questions? For sure! Do I sometimes want to know more of the details? Absolutely. Do anxious thoughts sometimes cross my mind? without a doubt. Does it matter in the end? No, because I know how the story ends. And while it still plays out, I know something else:

NOTHING CAN STOP GOD FROM LOVING US.

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39

That’s why I am an eternal optimist. How about you?

Peace Rests Secure

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Peace comes from knowing where you are going.

Corrie Ten Boom is quoted saying, “When a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you don’t throw away the ticket and jump off. You sit still and trust the engineer.” She added, “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.”

A friend asked, “Aren’t you afraid (of cancer/death)?” Actually no. The process is sometimes a bit unsettling, for sure. But over the years I have discovered over and over that God’s Word is trustworthy. Romans 14:8 says. “If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.” However my prognosis goes with this cancer, I win!

There is a battle going on every day and it is a battle for our mind, our thoughts, and our beliefs. Worry, despair, anger, and all kinds of temptation seem to have a way of grabbing our attention. A well respected and elderly Christian man shared with me that he still struggles with controlling his thoughts. We discussed the truth that 2 Corinthians 10:5 offers: “Take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” It is a daily challenge. But when we discipline ourselves to actually do this, we find a peace that rests secure.

What thoughts plague you and keep you from experiencing real peace? If they don’t agree with what God says about the situation, you can take them captive. Say to yourself, “This is a lie and I’m not going to believe it.” I remember Danny Hodges using the illustration of putting handcuffs on the errant thought and marching it out of your mind and into God’s courtroom. Familiarize yourself with God’s Word. See how many times each day you have opportunity to choose to believe -and act on- what God says. And then rest secure in the power of peace that He offers to guard your heart and mind. . . wherever you are going.

“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 16:33

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7

Speaking ‘Gymnastics’

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image“Is Nada here?” With a welcoming smile, “Mama” explained where Nada was. Unfortunately, we don’t understand any Croatian and she doesn’t speak any English. Seeing that we weren’t going to get anywhere with dialog, “Mama” pulled me into the apartment. “Sjesti!” she commanded us with great hospitality. It was pretty clear she meant, “Sit.” So we did and made polite conversation, each saying something the other could not possibly understand.

About an eternity later 🙂 Nada returned home with her daughter Maria. Maria who grew up in Croatia, instantly picked up on the situation observing, “I see you have been speaking Gymnastics with Grandma.” (Meaning lots of hand language accompanied with unintelligible words.) What followed was a most delightful and insightful visit. Nada was excited to see us and surprised we remembered her birthday. (Nada was my housekeeper during my two months at Mercy Hospital.)

Maria shared with us what it was like to grow up in a country embedded in war, escaping to refugee camps. She said that her family’s Serbian Orthodox religion was one based a lot on traditions and family history. “If your family was Orthodox Christians you and you children and grandchildren were Orthodox.” As we discussed these traditions, Nada showed us some of her household decorations that symbolized “good luck and blessings,” based on her traditions.

Maria commented on our positive outlook on life with cancer. We explained that we simply believe that what God said is true: this life is just part of the much larger eternal life. We have to decide now where and how we will spend that. I found it interesting that Maria then remarked that evangelical funerals here are more a celebration of life compared with the Orthodox traditions of deep mourning death as the end.

We left after many hugs and farewells (especially for “Mama”), thankful for new friends and the great celebration of life now…and life eternal.

“If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.”
Romans 14:8