Are You Serious??

Are You Serious?
That’s probably what most of America asked on Tuesday night, September 29th as we watch the Presidential Debate Debacle (which is what I call it now). Are you serious? These two men can’t even have a civilized discussion. Was I surprised…NO! Was I disappointed…YES! Now that I got that out of my system let’s move on.
Are you serious? This question has been uttered by many as we’ve worked through the last eight months of this virus. I don’t know where you stand with it, but it is real. But fear cannot become the norm! It must not control us! We need to be wise and respect each other as we navigate through this. We must care enough for each other that we will try to protect the most vulnerable. Ok, enough about this let’s move on.
Are you serious? This must have been what the disciples were thinking when Jesus said, “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me (John 16:16).” What?? Are you serious?? Where are you going? They had lots of questions. The world had not really jumped on board with Jesus’ message and honestly the world was kind of fighting it. To say it nicely the religious leaders were not on board with Jesus being the son of God. And now Jesus is talking about leaving.
ARE YOU SERIOUS? You are going to leave us now? What are we going to do?
Listen to what Jesus went on to say in John 16:31-33:
31 “Do you now believe?” Jesus replied. 32 “A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me. 33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Jesus said you will be scattered, and you will have trouble! But He didn’t leave it at that. He made it perfectly clear how to handle that trouble!
So here it is! Jesus’ words to His disciples in their time of crisis is the same for us today in our crisis, pandemic, riots, struggles or lets just call it an overall mess!
Let me repeat those words of encouragement that Jesus left:
33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Don’t miss it! Don’t let the question, “Are you serious?” be where you stop! Get past it!
Jesus told His disciples to have peace in Him. He told them to take heart. Why did He say those things.?
Because He has overcome the world!! Jesus overcame the world back then. And He has overcome anything and everything we will ever face. Do you believe it?
We can be overcomers as well. Not on our own, not by our own power but by taking Jesus to heart. Believing His words and grabbing hold of His peace and genuinely believing that He has overcome the world!
This is not what I had written for my meandering this week, but I felt led to share it! Be encouraged in the midst of this chaotic world we live in and know that God’s got this!
We’re in this together! Don’t let the divisiveness of this world pull you down and suck you in!   ~ Mike