Word of the Day – Everything is going well in life until something happens. Just like the beautiful lawn in my yard, you never know when a bulldozer is going to leave a very visible mark. Yesterday, I was having a great day as I made public that my wife and I had been called to start a ministry around the area that we live. It is a wonderful time in our lives as we have patiently waited on God to begin. And wouldn’t you know it, on the same day, we received a call that one of our relatives was in the hospital.
Sometimes the thought of, “What have I done?” can creep into our minds. Did I sin against God in some way that this has happened? The disciples had the same type of question as they came across a man who had been blind from birth. Did this man sin? Did his parents sin? Jesus answers them, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him.”
We live in a broken world. The sin of others (and of the land) will sometimes lead to brokenness in our lives. It is not God’s fault or our fault, yet we will all be affected by the sin on this earth. Therefore, to be a Christian is not to be free from the bad things that happen, it is to have joy through those burdens when they take place. For if we truly believe in the Gospel, our faith in Christ will lead us to hope – our hope to peace – and our peace to joy.
When was the last time you had a bulldozer change the landscaping of your lawn? Don’t let the worries and struggles of this life strip away your joy, for God uses our struggles in this life to bring glory to His Name. And rejoice, for someday there will be no more struggles and no more tears.