Anyone feeling discouraged? Everywhere I look I’m confronted with dark realities about this cursed world we live in.
I turn on the news to get the latest on the Coronavirus and see the rising death toll. I login to social media and see someone desperately trying to raise funds to pay for a child battling a deadly disease. My mother-in-law attempts to figure out how to login to her online back account as she’s trying learn a new “normal” after losing her husband of 40 years. Another video of a human being made in the image of God being killed goes viral. I watch as adults bicker and yell like children as they attempt to attain one of the most powerful positions in the world.
In spite of all the advances our society has made, we continue to see the same old sins. Corruption, selfishness, greed, racism, abuse, and murder continue to abound as they have since Genesis 3. Such realities often tempt us to simply give up.
But, don’t forget, believer, that Revelation 21 is coming. Don’t give up. Keep fighting the good fight and shining the light as you push back the darkness. Doing so will cost you, so be prepared. If you speak out against sins in the church, you’ll be called divisive. If you call abortion sin, you’ll be labeled a woman-hater. If you stand against racism, you’ll be dismissed as liberal. If you teach against false theology, you’ll be thought of as unloving. If you lead according to the methods in God’s Word, you’ll be seen as impractical and irrelevant. In spite of all this, continue proclaiming the best news that mankind could ever hear. Don’t be ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation (Rom. 1:16). Keep fighting for truth. Keep fighting for justice.
But, don’t do it alone.
The task is too great for you to do in your strength. If you try, you’ll burn yourself out. As we see the darkness around us, it should be a reminder that we are at war and drive us to our knees. Jesus regularly took time out of his daily task to spend time with the Father in prayer. By the Spirit’s power, cultivate a deep relationship with the Lord everyday. Fast and Lament. Remember, the darkness we see is the result of spiritual realities and that is where our battle is fought. Ephesians 6:12 teaches, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”
Keep striving in the Spirit’s strength and remind yourself that your acceptance is because of his work, not yours. If you are tempted to grow discouraged, remind yourself of Jesus’ words: “Behold, I am coming soon.” He’s coming back, and when he does he’ll make all things new.
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