Okay, Now What?

The Lord has risen. He has risen indeed. We talk about the crucifixion and burial on Friday and then the resurrection on Sunday, but it’s now Monday. The day after. What are we going to do with Jesus’ sacrifice and are we going to lead a transformed life because of it?

While my intent is not to guilt anyone into a lifestyle change, knowing what the Lord did for me and the pain and suffering he went thru on my behalf sure is motivation to press on for the prize and crown of life waiting me in heaven. Every year I’m amazed at so many people turn out for Easter services. I’m sure you see a huge growth in your church as I do in mine. Then next Sunday comes and its back to sleeping in, yard work and NASCAR.

It’s as if people think God is impressed that we went to church. Maybe He takes attendance. I hope He counts that Good Friday service I went to as a bonus. What the Lord does care about is a life that is changed because of His death on the cross. Well, how do we go about doing that? I’ve come up with 4 areas of our lives that we need to put our trust and faith in Him so we can grow our roots deep into Him.

The first area we need to trust Him in is our relationships. God cares about the people we are married to, who we date, who we choose as our friends and our co-workers. “May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 15:5-6. If you follow Christ, let’s strive to show the world that we can treat our spouses, boyfriends and girlfriends, employees and yes, employers in a way that is set apart from the world.

The second area we can put our trust in Him is our finances. Our lives are not all about money, but the Lord knows we need it to meet our needs. But it doesn’t have to fully take over our lives. “Teach those who are rich in this world not to proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all need for our enjoyment.” 1 Timothy 6:17. I would rather be poor financially, but rich in Spirit any day.

The third area we can know and trust God in is the details of our lives. “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” 1 Peter 5:7. The beauty of the word all is that it means all. It means the Lord cares about your babysitter problems, the car you drive, where you live, where you work and where you go on vacation. You can pray to the Lord about all these things because He cares. Just because they are not life and death issues doesn’t mean He doesn’t want to help and give guidance.

And finally we need to trust the Lord with the troubles in our life. “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. These are the words of Jesus to the disciples at the Last Supper. Christ’s death on the cross was for our troubles. He knows we will have trials and tribulations. I sometimes think that Christians wind up with more than their fair share of them. I have a lot of hurting people around me in my life right now. But I know that Jesus wants to walk us thru these troubles and we will find rest for our souls.

I pray that you all live a life on fire for our risen Lord who gave His life for us. After all, It’s the least we can do.