Reality 


Side with one political group, you’ll be happy for a little while.  

Gather certain friends around you, they’ll give you comfort for a little while.  

Bank on staying young all your life, you’ll be delusional for a few years.  

Things change.  Disappointments come.  The next guy gets his chance to be happy for a little while.  

Happiness in this world is like a crazy Bluejay.  He flies from one branch to another, blessing the place he stays for a little while.  But then he gets hungry for something “other”.  The branch where he was, springs back to its original position; empty and waiting for another bird.  

But in Jesus, you’ll find the potential to be at peace forever.  The winds of change can’t destroy his faithfulness.   And those who place their full trust in him are never put to shame or brought to ruin.  

It all depends on what you want, doesn’t it.  You want all the temporary chaos?  Graced by occasional happiness, like icing on a muffin.    Or are you looking for something endlessly permanent.  

Don’t just, “try Jesus”.  Put all your trust in him and you’ll see that what I’m saying is true.  

You always have the option to fail and be miserable; you can always go back to living a useless life.    You will not always have the option to take the beautiful life he offers so freely.  

Think about it.  

The Gambler


You sit at a slot machine.  You have invested your money in the hopes that you will get a great return.  Even the greatest fool hopes he will gain something.  Doesn’t such a man dream of Millions?

The Holy Lord Jesus has set us down at a feast of Eternal Truth, with all hope that he will receive a vast bounty from his expenditure.  He knows he has laid his valuables in the hands of Chaos.  But with all Eternal hope he looks with longing to see a WIN.

What does it feel like to lose at a slot machine?  Multiply that disappointment by eternity.  What does it feel like to lose potential?

Be a Willing Disappointment


The letter to the Hebrews, in the New Testament, tells us that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses.  Because of the context, we often associate that great crowd with humanity.

Though it is true that no man lives in complete isolation from his brother, it is also true that the great cloud of witnesses comprises far more than the men who live on this planet.

There will be testimony in eternity for what we have done.  The Angels witness our actions.  The Trinity is personally witness to every single detail.  And let us not forget the enemy.  Even the demons notice.

Doing what is right is often a severe irritation to humanity.  But those we irritate here, are considerably few, in comparison to those who will witness the totality of our life.

Let us therefore consider the majority.  If we need a provocation to do what is right, let us live a life of innocent irritation.  When they cuss and yell and scream and squirm, let us not understand the reason why.  Let us set our focus on the majority of witnesses.

And if you need further provocation to do what is right, let us mention the one who has irritated us. 

As we love doing what is right, we are not tempted to do what is wrong.  And if we cannot be tempted or averted from our love, we may be sure we are irritating the one who has irritated us.  Fine, let us be a willing disappointment!

By His Grace