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Somewhere between the explosive popularity of self-help and new revelations regarding the abundant life that Jesus Christ made available, it became uncomfortable and unacceptable for Christians to be sad. So what we have before us is a culture where you can ask anyone, from the homeless person on the street to the sister buying eggs in the grocery store, how they’re doing and the reply is, “I’m blessed!” All of us that are above ground should consider ourselves blessed, because the alternative is quite drastic, but ‘blessed’ today doesn’t mean what it used to. It’s a modern day colloquialism that a lot of us use to cover how we really feel.
It sounds good to say that we’re too blessed to be stressed, but many of the social indicators reveal that folks are more stressed today than those living some thirty years ago. It’s possible that people back then were somewhat closed mouth when it came to their emotions, but I suspect that it’s nothing like what we see happening today. The complexities of our time have caused a great deal of angst, and to compound it many of us were attacked on various levels this year.
From relationships, to work drama, to unemployment and financial woes. It seems that so many people got slammed in some way or another. The thing that you and I cannot afford to miss is that this was an orchestrated plan of the enemy to steal our joy. I don’t have to tell you that what the enemy meant for bad, God will turn it around for our good. This is classic bible-101. We know that Romans 8:28 assures us ALL things work together to them that love God and are called according to His purpose.
This is God’s guarantee, so we can’t spend too much of our time rehashing old news about what did or didn’t happen for us this year. What we can do is make sure that we get clear about how to maximize our time, energy, and resources for what lies ahead.
It’s no surprise to any of us how quickly things are moving these days. With all of our technologically advanced gadgets, we see what the devil is doing all over the world in real time; and we pass it on almost as fast as we see it. But when it comes to the things of God, this isn’t the case.
Oh, we’ve received tons of fresh revelation. We know we’re blessed and highly favored, and we’re quick to tell ya’ so. However, when it comes to miracles, signs, and wonders…when it comes to spiritual intelligence and sensitivity…when it comes to a walk so close with God that we’re producing a harvest like none other, we’re a little behind.
People are doing so much evil these days that they are almost outdoing the devil and his henchmen. On the flip side, when it comes to us Christians, the faith of our foremothers and forefathers exceeds ours in many cases. This is not said to make anyone feel bad. Heavenly Father never wants His children to wallow in condemnation, but we absolutely must be educated. We can no longer afford ignorance. Even at the expense of having our feelings hurt from time to time, we need to mount up in faith and come clean about what is keeping us from making our marks.
We’re doing the same things all the time, and we’re expecting different results. It just doesn’t work that way. The speed by which everything is transpiring is a sign for us. It is the barometer by which we must measure our response to the call of God. When we are babies, we rely totally upon our caretakers for everything, and we can do very little for ourselves. As we grow and develop through childhood, into adolescence then adulthood, we become more self-reliant. We are able to do things for ourselves. This is the process when it comes to physical maturity and growth.
Spiritually, when we become born again, we are totally reliant on the Holy Spirit to teach us how to demonstrate the faith of Jesus Christ. God blesses us tremendously during the time of our spiritual infancy, and some of us get a little spoiled, but we must not be remised in our diligence. The Apostle Paul set the bar for us in Ephesians 4:15 (NLT). He said, “Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.” The rate of our spiritual agility, mobility, persistence, and resilience in Christ should be exceeding the rate of darkness from those who have not made Jesus Lord.
Our precious Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, constantly performed miracles, signs, and wonders during his ministry upon the earth. The disciples had the highest of all privileges being honored to walk, talk, and be taught by him personally, on a daily basis. The Apostle John wrote in John 21:25(NLT), “Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written.”
Those living during the time of the ministry of Christ on earth did not have anywhere near the spiritual capability that you and I have today. They could not do what Jesus did. He restored sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, and made the lame to walk again; he healed the sick, and brought deliverance to the brokenhearted. Yet with everything he did for the people…with everything he taught the disciples and all that they saw with their own eyes, he told them in John 16:7, “it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come.”
God always has our growth, advancement, and progression in the spirit in mind. This is His first priority for us. Our reservoir of good stuff is operating on the inside of us through the person of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ. He is to us what Jesus Christ was to the disciples and those living during his time. When we are low, desponded, down and out, through the Spirit that indwells us our healing can be as immediate as it was when Jesus laid his hands upon the sick and brokenhearted over two thousand years ago.
So one of the things that we will find, and that God desires us to come to our senses about, is the reality that our unhappiness is often a sign to us that we are not keeping pace. We are out of sync—out of alignment with the spiritual maturity and growth that God has predestined for our existence. Our treasures are stored up, but we have not struck the chord that causes their release. Our refusal to move up the spiritual ladder has kept them bound.
Pain and sorrow will forever be a jumping board for change and growth in the Spirit. Don’t let it be said that you are sophisticated at technology, but immature at pain and problems; that if we can pull up an app for it we’re fine, but when feelings of unhappiness and pain break upon our lives, we forget our Christ reality. This cannot be.
John 20:31 tells us that by believing on Christ we will have a life by the power of his name. This is God’s guarantee. So prepare your heart for happiness and grow in Christ! Seek God like never before and delight in Him. Remember who He has made you as you brace for the year ahead. The enemy tried to take you out, but you’re still here. It’s time out for acquiescing to the bottom rail. Mount up with the strength that God has given you. Live life powerfully!!! Don’t let another human being dictate your life! Rebuild! Get yo’ blessings, and do the doggone thang, in the precious name of Jesus Christ! ■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“ Was This the Unhappiest Year of Your Life” written by Reverend Fran Mack, edited by Kim Times for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2016. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.
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