Juxtaposed Opposites

We dream of living in a world of peace and harmony, where any disagreement can be resolved with civility over a cup of coffee or a friendly political debate. We wish for an ideal world free from war, conflict and pain, but instead there is a battle going on, a spiritual battle for the hearts of mankind that is manifest wherever we live on a daily basis. It can sometimes seem that differences are not such a big deal, that we can live in a gray world if we abandon ideals and live with a syncretized view of live. All we have to do is blur the lines between right and wrong, good and evil, truth and falsehood. But at what cost? Often at the cost of our very lives and the lives of the next generation.

Here is a glimpse at the spiritual realities that lie beneath the surface of our everyday lives.

Good/Evil
There are moral absolutes, whether we choose to believe it or not. And there are consequences for the choices we make. If God is not the giver of life, neither good nor evil is a meaningful term. In an amoral world, one with God removed from the picture, there is no point of reference for good. But when we admit it, the reality of good and evil hits close to home in the attitudes of our own hearts and the choices we make. If we have lived for any length of time, we are touched by the deeply moving power of good, but also marred by the pain of evil whether in its subtlest or more extreme forms. If the latter has been your experience, let the pain lead you to God who comforts and restores and not away from Him. As G.K. Chesterton said: “When belief in God becomes difficult, the tendency is to turn away from Him; but in heaven’s name to what?”

Love/Hatred
Love is what makes life worth living; it is the most wonderful part of our existence. Love comes from God and the opposite of love is hatred. We can see both extremes when we simply read the news headlines. Acts of love and hatred are all over the news every day. No one has to tell us the difference, it is stamped within our consciences.

Truth/Falsehood
If you ask someone who holds to a postmodern worldview if the chair they are sitting on can simultaneously be a duck, they would laugh at the ridiculous question. But when it comes to spiritual reality, they may argue that Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and Christianity are just different paths to the same supposed God, even though they contradict one another. One characteristic of man-made religion is attempting to reach God by human effort. However, God reaches us. He answers the major questions of our existence – with Truth.

Heaven/Hell
No one likes to think of hell, and heaven is often viewed in ethereal terms with fat cherubs and fluffy clouds. But what would we think of a court of law that refused to judge the atrocities of the Holocaust? God, our lawgiver, must punish evil. Rejection of God and His ways leads to separation from Him forever, or, Hell – the absence of God and His goodness, love, truth and light. We cannot bridge the moral gap that separates us from the perfection of God. As Eric Metaxas wrote, we are like “cut flowers” because of our sinful natures. We have to be attached to the source of life through the saving work of God in Jesus Christ. The pardon and forgiveness that we can receive in Christ because He bore the penalty of our moral separation is liberating, leading to eternal reconciliation with God.

So, where is the encouragement in all of this?
That we can know the reality of goodness, truth and love if we accept His invitation to choose life. And I don’t mean “know” it like Tom Cruise with his incoherent, ecstatic statements on YouTube where he talks about Scientology without really saying anything. I mean know it in a way that makes sense and changes your life.

“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 NLT)

For further inquiry:

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About God (but were afraid to ask)
by Eric Metaxas - short and witty

The Case For Christ
by Lee Strobel - longer and in-depth, but fascinating

Blue Monday?

Someone somewhere has prognosticated that today will be the most depressing day of the year. Yes, due to sociological trends, today should be a Blue Monday, the bluest of blues. But I intend to do without a Blue Monday, choosing a healthy dose of joy and encouragement instead.

Here is an excerpt from the “Time” article:
“There's a lot to feel down about this month: the subprime mortgage crisis, stormy, unpredictable weather, rising gas prices, presidential primary free-for-alls. So, it would be easy to believe the theory set forth by Dr. Cliff Arnall, a researcher from Cardiff University, that the third Monday of the month (Jan. 21, this year) — a day he calls Blue Monday — will be our most depressing day of the year.” Bill Tancer

Since I am living in Kiev, I am not immersed in the sociological trends of the US, but it is a gray, rainy day here in Ukraine and there are things that could potentially rob me of joy if I go there in my thoughts. Frankly, I choose not to and I believe it is a matter of choice both in the short-term and the long-term.

Here are two antidotes to depression that can lead to many joy-filled, jazzed out, technicolor Mondays, and just think of what Friday could bring?

1. Own it
I am referring to taking personal responsibility for your own life, thoughts and actions. You reap what you sow, so if you allow your thoughts to dwell on what you do not have, how you have been wronged and so on, you are setting yourself up for a Blue Monday. Human nature, apart from finding satisfaction in God, His goodness and provision, tends toward the disgruntled, discontent and disappointed. Think of Adam and Eve, they were in a perfect paradise with a match made in heaven, but they were lured and led astray by the temptation that they were being deprived of something. Leave the “dis” mentality behind and cultivate your own garden. This requires living with boundaries in your thought life and caring for the precious gifts that God has given you.

“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.” (Galatians 6:7-8)

2. Dream it
Rekindle that dream that may be lying dormant, fan that flame and keep passion alive. Joseph had a dream, but his brothers were jealous and threw him into a pit, thinking that his dreams would come to naught. But instead their actions played a part in fulfilling the plan of God for his life.

"Come now, let's kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we'll see what comes of his dreams." (Genesis 37:20)

Do you feel like your dream has hit rock bottom and is incapable of being salvaged? Ask God if the dreams you have are consistent with His plans for your life and surrender every area of your life to Him with a willingness to move forward in faith in the God who created us for His purposes. Joseph’s dream led to the salvation of the known world from famine, so it was not just about him. Dream big enough to make a difference in the lives of others. And let your dream take flight in the nurturing relationships you are meant to have with God and others.

Still having a Blue Monday? It takes a while for new ways of thinking to become habits that change our lives, but there is no better day to start than now.

Hope Renewed

It is the beginning of yet another year, a time when people reflect on the past and resolve to make changes, to do better, to enhance their lives. For some that is an invigorating thought, but for others it is depressing. Maybe your life is so far from the place you wanted to be ten years ago that you can hardly recognize yourself. Or perhaps your life is going well, but there is one important area that you have difficulty facing and overcoming. I read a NY Times article about how living with regret negatively affects people. The author stated:

“Over the past decade and a half, psychologists have studied how regrets — large and small, recent and distant — affect people’s mental well-being. They have shown, convincingly though not surprisingly, that ruminating on paths not taken is an emotionally corrosive exercise. The common wisdom about regret — that what hurts the most is not what you did but what you didn’t do — also appears to be true, at least in the long run.”
- Benedict Carey

Have you ever tried to encourage someone, but everything you say just doesn’t stick? It is like the surface of their hearts is made of Teflon, preventing encouragement, hope and faith from penetrating and bringing positive results. But others have a past that reads like a tragic Russian novel, yet they have overcome to the place that you cannot believe they are the same person. Whatever the case may be, the New Year is an opportune time to learn from the past, leave it behind, and invite God into every area of life to fill you with hope.

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)

1) Learn from the past
You probably know the expression, if you don’t learn from the past you will end up repeating it. Consider the outcome of your current lifestyle and where it will lead if you do not make changes. If you don’t like where you are in life, you need to map out a path to reach a different destination. Ask God to direct your life so you can focus on what really matters. Remember to travel lightly and don’t bring regret and past mistakes into the new year. Also, consider the impact of your life on others, which can give you fresh incentive to change.

2) Start fresh
Before God, we are held accountable for how we live, but the great news is that we can start with a clean slate because of His forgiveness. Changes do not happen unless you are deliberate about changing. Don’t overwhelm yourself with too many goals. Choose one or a few areas that you need to focus on, and then write out a clear, practical plan that you can follow on a daily or weekly basis. Enlist a friend or family member to stand with you and encourage you along the way.

3) Invite God in to fill you with hope
Jesus Christ is our hope and our example, because He conquered sin and death so we can freely walk in new, abundant life. But we have to invite Him in, even into the areas where we are afraid to change, and walk with Him every day. Ask Him to specifically fill you with hope and faith in every area of your life so you can have a positive outlook and have the power to change.