And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 2:6,7
Many people are down in the dumps. Discouraged. Depressed. In pain and sorrow. Grief has become so serious and common that The American Psychiatric Association has identified Prolonged Grief Disorder[1] as a serious mental health issue. If you or someone you know has a serious problem, please seek help immediately!
If you or someone you know is looking for some good news, something to encourage, then you’ve come to the right place. This starts with the reality of who and where we are.
We have to understand our reality. We aren’t just slipping a little bit. We are head-over-heels, tumbling down, flat on our face. And there isn’t anything that we can do about it.
I was riding an ATV on a mountain in the deserts of Arizona when the ground suddenly gave way. The ATV started to fall down this hill and into a canyon. And since I was on the ATV, I naturally followed. Once it started to fall, I was done. My goose was cooked. There was nothing I could do to stop it. I was along for the ride.
That’s where we are in relationship to God. But the story doesn’t end there. He stepped in. He came to Earth to pay the price we couldn’t pay. He died on the cross and was raised from the dead for us. And we can enjoy the benefits of his resurrection.
But we aren’t just raised with Jesus. We are made alive, resurrected, and sitting with him. It’s all due to Jesus. It’s all about Jesus. And why?
So that who he is can be seen. And what kind of God is he? He’s so rich in grace. And what’s at the top of the mountain of his grace? His kindness towards us in Jesus’ death and resurrection. He wants to plaster this across the entire universe, throughout the heavens, for all time and eternity.
We think about time like a line. There’s a start, a middle, and an end. But God sees time in a very different way. To God, time and eternity are like a day at the beach. (I bet I’ve got your attention now.)
Go out to the beach, set up your chair, and watch. Watch the waves roll in. One after another. Just when you think there can’t be another, there’s another one. And another. And another. They come up right behind each other.
Eternity is like a wave. You have one, but then there’s another. You have one eternity followed by another. There is no end to them. With God, time is timeless.
In Slip Slidin Away[2], Paul Simon sings about life being outside our control In the last verse, he comes to the only logical conclusion about life.
God only knows, God makes his plan
The information's unavailable, To the mortal man
We work our jobs, Collect our pay
Believe we're gliding down the highway
When in fact we're slip slidin' away
We live with the mistaken illusion that we can understand and control everything. We think that if we just understand more, if we just have a little bit more information, then we can wrap our brains around it. But we can’t. There are certain things in life we just can’t understand.
I can’t understand Mary Ann’s love for me. I see it. I hear it. I receive the beautiful benefits of it. But my brain just can’t understand it. So, I have two choices. I can deny it or believe it.
Where are you with believing God’s hard-fought and unending love for you? Are you in denial, refusing to receive it stage? Stubbornly turning your back on him? Proudly thinking that you can handle it all by yourself?
Or are you ready to throw down your defenses and receive his love for you? Allowing him to cherish you. To forgive you. To remake you. To empower you. To replenish you. To be the most important person in your life.
when I (Jesus) am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.
John 12:32
Maybe you’re down. Or your down and out. If you are, Jesus is the one and true way to get up. He was lifted up on the cross so we could be lifted up by him. He is reaching out to you right now. He wants to get your attention and pull you to him. What’s holding you back from letting go of yourself and looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith[3].
Noodling Questions
What are the things that seem to always push you down? Away from God?
List three things that you feel like you are owed. That you demand right now.
Why is it hard to let go of our rights to the things we deserve or earned?
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