It is -30°C outside, with a wind chill. I woke with a headache, feeling tired, puffy and without ambition. That skipping pulse went back to normal last night, which would be a good thing except my doctor has never put her stethoscope to it so will not be able to make the same judgment as she would if it were doing its skipping thing for my appointment today. I’ve a mountain of laundry and a mountain of other things to do. I feel like going back to bed, or at least throwing a small pity party.
But I know God is trying to teach me something, likely not too profound and more like “quit complaining — Jesus didn’t do it.”
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. (Romans 8:28–29)
So how did Jesus handle trials? Did He have a sweet and positive Pollyanna attitude about everything? I don’t think so. He slept when He was tired and ate when He was hungry. He made light of nothing and understood with compassion all the suffering He saw around Him. At the end of His life in the Garden of Gethsemane, He was so stressed about the trial before Him that He sweat drops of blood. Life was not easy, but He never complained or felt sorry for Himself. God wants me to be like Him.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. (Hebrews 12:1–4)
We smile in Sunday School when someone offers “Jesus” as the answer to either an obvious or difficult question, knowing the story of the little boy who said, “If you don’t know what the teacher is talking about, Jesus is always a safe answer.”
However, no jesting here — Jesus always answers my problems and struggles. As I look at these verses, He encourages me to keep my eyes on Him. He will help me endure the trials (and they are very small compared to His or to many others, for that matter). I’m being tempted to turn and go my own way, but resisting that is not going to kill me. Being like Jesus is always a blessing.
Besides the external action of looking at Jesus, He is also my eternal power in this transformation process. The “all things” of Romans 8:28 are designed to strip away the “me” that gets in the way so that His life can be made evident. As God spoke yesterday about seeing the unseen and letting God show me His resources, He speaks today about choosing the inner presence of Christ. He wants to transform this “poor me” day into a day of victory over self-pity as I go forward with my eyes on my Savior.
Jesus, the life that God wants from me is impossible without You. You are my life and my salvation. Forgive this me-focus and take me through this day with Your thoughts and Your attitudes. Being like You is good. Not only do I feel much better, but You are glorified — and that is why I am here.
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