Have you ever been in the pits? The old timers might call it having "the blues." Have you ever felt so low that you know you could play hand ball against the curb? There are times in life where things don't matter, life doesn't make sense, and no matter what you do, things just seem to get worse. What do you do at these points in life? Some people give up hope, some blow their brains out, and some just get mad.
I've been going through one of these times lately, and it isn't fun. Your friends can't help you, and sometimes it feels like you can't even help yourself. Sometimes things just get bad, sometimes they get worse, and sometimes it is NOT your fault.
Who is in control? Do we blame God for times like these? Many people do, and they want nothing to do with God, church, or anything else to do with "goody two shoes." The problem is that we either get "better or bitter" during these times. What are the things that "get to you?" What are the causes of depression? How do we get out of these "holes" or pitfalls we find ourselves in? What is the answer?
Sometimes, there are no quick answers. We want to jump to a "quick conclusion" or make a "snap decision," but many times we later find out we didn't have all the facts. What is it about people that makes them (me and you) judge one another?
I don't know everything, but I know that God does NOT make mistakes. We cannot "blame" God for our troubles. Most of the time we get ourselves into "jams" and we look to "Mom and Dad," to friends, to a Pastor, to the government, or to anyone we can find to alleviate or cancel the problem. We do not like to suffer.
Growing has many "pains" that just come with growing up or getting older. Death is the "Final Exit" and we will all get there soon enough. Our ultimate "blow" or "Victory" will come in death. "To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord." We are all going to die, and those who live Godly lives in Christ Jesus are going to suffer with and for Him. I used to work at a cemetery and I saw death from 2 minutes old to 115 years old. We are all going to die. You are going to die. The question is "are you ready?," and do you know that for a fact? After you die, it is too late to make amends. (Note: If you are Catholic, this might not go with your "Theology," but is the truth.)
How can we "know" that we are ready to go? I heard someone say "Going to church doesn't make you a Christian, no more than going to MacDonald's makes you a hamburger" (Keith Green). If there is a God, an Uncreated One, the Grand Pooba, Big Daddy "G," the Man upstairs, or whatever you want to call HIM; if there is a God, then He determines who goes to Heaven and who doesn't - NOT you!!!
If we want to go to Heaven, it must be by His design and NOT according to what we think or how we feel. We cannot buy our way in, we cannot inherit it from our parents, we cannot get there by some magic formula (three "Hail Marys" and fifty bucks in the offering, etc...), nor do we get there by "being good enough." Then how does one gain entrance into this Holy Place called Heaven?
I'm glad you asked, it is only through the blood of Jesus, "by confessing our sins to God, by reading and obeying His Holy Word (the Bible), by Faith in God." We must realize that we are a sinner, and that we need God. We cannot live for God on our own strength. I have tried and many others too have tried and it does not work. Do we give up hope and throw our hands up in the air and say "I quit!" Many have, but God has a better way.
Who cares? God does. Why does He make things so hard? The Bible says that the way of the transgressor (or sinner) is hard. We do it to ourselves. Jesus cares! Your friends care too, but they cannot live your life for you. Your parents care too, but often they are too close to help. There are times when noone but God Himself, or Jesus, can help. Why? Because HE is the only answer, He is the Key to the door you are looking for, He is the bridge that gets you to where you "want" to go.
Know the plan and work the plan. Jeremiah 29:11 says "For I know the plans I have for you says the Lord, plans of good and not evil, to give you a hope and a future." Another place in the Bible, it says that God is on our side. God is for us, not against us. On the other hand, He gives us "Freedom" and we have the right to choose. Many people want to get wet, but they don't want to jump into the pool. That is like saying, I want to be a Christian without Christ. That is like saying "I want to drive the car, I just don't want to stop and put gas and oil in it." You cannot get to Heaven without Christ. The fuel to get there is His Word. His Word is called "Light." Light expels the darkness. Light literally pushes the darkness out. We MUST continue in His Word, then we are "truly His disciples."
Does anyone care? The answer is yes. The question remains "are we going to do things His way (the right way), or are we going to go our own way? Someone asked, what is the roadmap to Heaven? A child answered, "That's easy, turn right and go straight!" "And a little child shall lead them..."
