There are days...

There are days, I imagine, for every one of us when it’d be easy to quit. Today was one of those days for me. I didn’t eat well over the last week so I  feel more like a whale than a human. A fun but long trip out of town brought me home LATE last night so I didn’t sleep much. An ongoing internal congregational conflict reared it’s drama a little again. The election unrest and uncertainty hasn’t helped any. Anyone feel like 2020 is the year that just won’t stop? I’m tired of trying to figure out ways to contact folks who weren’t present but didn’t check in and to keep them connected when they are by the nature of this, disconnected. I’m tried of dealing with those on both sides of the masking issue who use every opportunity to challenge leaders. And then tonight a preacher friend called and he’d been let go. 

So, what do I do? Quit? 

Have you ever noticed that in Philippians 4 where Paul says he has learned to be content in whatever circumstance he finds himself in that that verse is not on an island? In fact it is the contextual neighbor to one of the 5 most popular verses in the Bible among Christians in 2020: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (verse 13). The all things does not refer to the popular cultural Christianity concept that if I want to be a NBA Basketball Player, a neurosurgeon, a concert pianist - I can do it because in Christ I can do anything. Instead the context is that I can find the strength to be content in every circumstance that life may present to me. Whether it be prison for the sake of Christ, or dealing with misery, or miserable people. I can be content, find peace, even joy over those things because the mentality of being a Christ person gives me that strength. 

Therefore, the question isn’t how hard a day was it, how nice were the members to me, how “Christian” was the election, how comfortable my bank account, how simple my job, or how restful was the night - but am I at peace in, with, and because of Jesus Christ in my life? Don’t quit, lean into Jesus!