It would not take a mental genius to recognize that these are not “fun” times. The financial markets are in shambles. The banking system is struggling. There is continued increased unemployment. More and more people are without medical coverage. Lately, we have been hearing about the incredible results of greed in the upper echelon of the business world. I don’t believe there is anyone that is left untouched, in one way or another.
Along with all of this, we all have personal issues that we face. There are relationship problems, health issues, the need to be a caretaker of a loved one, addiction, and parental and sibling concerns. You name it, and there is a possibility of such experiences.
One way to slough it off is to just say, “God will take care of us.” Another favorite quote is from Paul, “God doesn’t give us more than we can handle.” Or, we might recall Jesus’ comment, “Pick up your cross and follow me.” I doubt if any of those comments will relieve our heartache, our sorrow, our anxiety, or our fear.
However, God did create us for relationship. God desires for us to love God and, with that experience, to love our neighbor as ourselves. In all of that we can experience the incredible love that God has for us and the world. We do that by being in spiritual relationships with one another. (That’s what small groups help develop.) Remember? “Where two or more are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” Does that relieve the anxiety, fear, or troubled mind? I doubt it. But in the midst of all of that, there can be the paradox of a peaceful spirit knowing that the reign of God is truly drawing near, and God is with us.
Let’s think about that.
