Matthew 16:24 (NLV)“Jesus said to His followers, “If anyone wants to be My follower, he must forget about himself. He must take up his cross and follow Me.”
I could see the family of
geese hundreds of yards away, the tiniest ones toddling behind mom and dad as
they crossed the on-ramp leading to the interstate. I screamed, honked my horn,
and flashed my lights. The driver in front of me never slowed down. Perhaps he
was reaching for his newspaper. Maybe his coffee mug had slipped beneath his
passenger seat. Whatever distraction the world had offered up was enough to
cause the worst site I had ever witnessed. Feathers burst into the air as the
car plowed through the line of geese. The goslings managed to dodge the car’s
tires with either mom or dad squawking on the side of the road. However, one of
the adult geese was hit and instantly killed. Even after, the driver barely
touched his brakes.
It’s an awful image, I know.
I cannot erase it from my mind’s eye, and it happened over 12 years ago. I
cried the entire drive to work that day. No wait – I didn't just cry – I
screamed and raged against God. I punched the steering wheel and looked up to
the sky as I spewed some ugly obscenities at Him. How could He let it happen?
Why did He allow me to witness it? I couldn't find any reason why God would
have me watch the whole horrific event. I was so angry at Him! I raged for
quite some time, and let me say this – the raging did not reverse the outcome
and bring back that poor goose. It didn't take away my memory of the accident.
Certainly, it did not affect the distracted driver in any way. Rage did not do
any good at all.
We do that though, don’t we?
I would guess some of you have witnessed something far worse than what I
watched on that road. I would venture most of us have seen something we wished
we could have stopped – something awful of which we had no control.
Let’s consider some of the
reactions we have towards God when we experience pain or go through difficult
times. We might rage against God and blame Him for our suffering. I, for one,
have had that doubting thought that utters, “A
good God would not have let this happen.” I certainly did as I watched that car 12 years ago.
Some of us tend to fill with anger if
we believe that with His divine control, God should have stopped the trauma or
disaster. Sometimes anger is just the easiest reaction. In reality, it is the
most damaging too.
If we don’t rage, perhaps we
run. We flee with the excuse that, “There
must not be a God if this happened.” Rather than blame Him, we alienate
Him. We might stop praying or attending church. We sometimes go so far as to
end the relationship altogether. We lose hope and trust in the One who is, in
reality, the hope of the world and always faithful. However, at the end of our
run, we are left very much alone.
There is a third reaction we
can choose during life’s toughest challenges. We can rest. We can rest in the Lord’s love and grace. We can run to Jesus, fall in His outstretched arms,
and take comfort in His promises. I can tell you from experience, resting under
God’s wings and in Christ’s love is the reaction that brings the greatest
healing for us – emotionally, physically, and spiritually. When I rest in Him,
I am filled. Sitting in quiet confidence and trusting God grows my faith and
secures my hope so much more than raging in anger or running in fear. I know –
I have tried all three.
Kyle Idleman, author of “Not
a Fan,” writes about being a true follower of Jesus – not just an “enthusiastic
admirer.” I found these words from his book ringing true: “(A fan) knows all
about the latest stats, but he doesn't know the players. He yells and cheers,
but nothing is really required of him. There is no sacrifice he has to make. And the truth is … if the team he’s
cheering for has a few off seasons, his passion will wane pretty quickly. You
can expect him to jump off the fan wagon.”
Should we embrace only the
happy and “good” times from God, but not the difficult? Jesus makes it clear
that following Him does not lead us down the easy road. It requires much
sacrifice. At times, it can seem downright impossible. Yet, He is molding us,
growing us, and shaping us. Resting in God and trusting in His goodness amidst
trauma and uncertainty are sure signs that you are dangerously close to
becoming a true follower of Jesus and not just that overzealous fan that stops
cheering and runs away when things go wrong. Matthew 16:24 (NLV) says, "Jesus said to His followers, 'If anyone wants to be My follower, he must forget about himself. He must take up his cross and follow Me.”
Are you livid with God for
something that has happened to you? Have you turned your back on Him in
distrust? I encourage you to try the third reaction. Run to the Lord and find some rest. Let His all-encompassing love
comfort you and bring you peace. Allow Him to hold your tears and instill hope
for your future. Trust His promises while you wait for His redemption. Trust me
– it’s worth it.
Prayer – Lord, I am so
grateful You never turned Your back on me when I have turned mine on You so
many times. My anger left me empty and alone but resting in You filled me. I pray for wisdom as we choose how to respond to life's situations. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
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