I think we can all agree that chaos seems to be running rampant in our world right now.
The virus.
Violence and riots and deadly explosions.
Human trafficking and political scandals.
Flash floods and wildfires.
Murder hornets and locust swarms.
Sure, many of these things have been happening for centuries, but over the last six months, the frequency of tragedies and catastrophes has increased to alarming levels. And one of these scourges, the infamous virus, is unique in that its worldwide impact is changing the way we work, attend school, travel and shop, thereby creating unprecedented challenges, and frustrations, for all of us.
Recently, my heart was absolutely broken by the news that a five-year-old boy, Cannon Hinnant, was shot point-blank by his next-door neighbor while playing outside with his siblings. Having a little boy of my own, I couldn’t help but put myself in the shoes of Cannon’s parents. How they must be grieving! How they must be toiling with the questions “why?” and “how?” especially in light of the fact that their son’s murderer had been their dinner guest the night before Cannon was killed. I honestly cannot imagine what they’re feeling, and can only pray the Lord consoles them and provides the “peace that surpasses understanding” (Philippians 4:7).
This distressing news, along with the constant influx of unsettling information bombarding social media and news outlets, stopped me in my tracks and filled me with a feeling of profound longing for a place I’ve never been to…
A place without war.
A place without sickness or psychopaths or serial killers.
A place without discrimination or division or hatred of any kind.
A place without capricious weather that smiles sun rays upon the world one day, then pours out its wrath the next.
A place without lack, but instead, an abundance of all things noble, all things lovely, all things pure.
I was longing for heaven.
“If I find in myself a desire which no experience in the world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.” – C.S. Lewis
If there are any benefits to experiencing and observing dark times, certainly one must be that it impels us to reflect both on our blessings, and the blood-chilling possibility that they could all vanish in an instant.
When we are reminded of what matters most and acknowledge the stark absence of any sort of law or clause guaranteeing that what and whom we love will never suffer harm, endure disease, or be snatched away, we are simultaneously presented with a critical opportunity to turn our gaze upward. To consider the ultimate, ineffable place for which we were created, and the Almighty One who created it. To think less of this temporal world and the material things which fill it, and to ponder the eternity for which we were hardwired to yearn and thrive and exult in.
Indeed, dark times and tragedies shift our priorities back to their rightful places, allowing us to focus once more on the beautiful simplicity of uninterrupted, heartfelt conversations, tight, warm, wonderful hugs from our children, quiet, late-night walks with our spouses, and of gazing at the stars and imagining what lies beyond them.
Lift up your eyes on high
And see who has created these stars,
The One who leads forth their host by number,
He calls them all by name;
Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power,
Not one of them is missing – Isaiah 40:26
None of us is promised another day. What we are promised, however, is eternity, and where we spend it is a decision that’s been left up to us.
We can choose the place our innermost beings long for, or the place which, according to the Word of God, makes 2020 seem like a tropical oasis by comparison.[1]
The Bible says, “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!” (Deuteronomy 30:19)
Jesus called Himself the Way, the Truth, and the Life, a bold and, to many, incredibly appalling statement. In the words of C.S. Lewis, such a claim would make Jesus a liar, a lunatic, or Lord.
I believe, with all my heart, that how we choose to think of Jesus is the most important decision we will ever make, for it determines not only where we will spend eternity, but how we spend our days here, upon this groaning, quaking, sin-cursed earth. For if we regard Jesus as either lunatic or liar, then this world is all we have, and so naturally we will look to it, or perhaps to ourselves, for joy, peace, love, fulfillment, security.
I don’t have to tell you that this world simply cannot be counted on to provide those things, at least not long term, because the earth and all that’s in it, including you and I, is passing away.
“And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.” – 1 John 2:17
On the other hand, if Jesus is Lord, then we have all we need in Him alone. Grace. Mercy. Forgiveness. Freedom. Healing. Wisdom. Discernment. Hope. Endurance. Encouragement. The nine fruits of the Spirit, including joy and love and peace. He supplies all of these to those who “declare with [their] mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in [their] heart that God raised him from the dead” (Romans 10:9). We can look all around at the catastrophes, discord, and confusion wreaking havoc on every nation and confidently recite the Psalmist’s words, “in God I trust; I will not be afraid” (Psalm 56:11).
At my and my husband’s gym, we believe that we as human beings are comprised of three parts: a soul, a spirit, and a body (1 Thessalonians 5:23). The part we train in the gym is important, but it cannot last. No matter how hard we train, no matter how well we eat, no matter how far modern medicine advances, one day, we will take our last breath.
Now that would be a majorly depressing thought if it weren’t for the fact that two-thirds of our makeup was designed to last forever. What we do to increase and maintain the fitness, if you will, of our spirits (the part of us that helps us connect deeply with our Creator) and souls (our minds, wills, and emotions) should, according to God’s Word, take priority over our pursuit of physical fitness. After all, our souls and spirits will endure long after our names, and our children’s and grandchildren’s names, are forgotten; every prayer, each kind word, every song of praise and sacrificial act strengthens the spiritual part of us, preparing us for the life to come.
“Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.” – 1 Timothy 4:8
If you haven’t given it much thought lately, I encourage you to consider your eternity. Have you made a decision as to who Jesus Christ was, who he is? If you haven’t, why not pray and ask him, right now, to reveal himself to you in a personal, indisputable way? Our God is a good God, and he loves to bless and commune with his children and promises to reward those “who sincerely seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).
If you have questions about anything I’ve written today, or would just like someone to talk or pray with, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. You can email me at diana.tyler86@gmail.com and I will gladly respond as soon as I can.
Be blessed, and encouraged, for “the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it”! (John 1:5).
[1] See Matthew 25:41, Matthew 25:46, Revelation 20:15, Matthew 13:50, 2 Peter 2:4, Mark 9:43-48, Revelation 19:20, Luke 16:23, Luke 12:5, Matthew 3:12, John 3:36, Psalm 9;17