Great lessons in hard times

In the midst of all the negativity we are all hearing on a constant basis, wouldn't it be great to hear some good news in the midst of all the bad?

We in today's culture, and sadly to say, even as Christians, don't like tough times. The thought of them or even the possibility of them occuring causes us to run away, deny and avoid. Just the thought that life can be worthwhile if it is anything less than our expections of a life of ease is completely counter to our thinking if we are willing to be honest. This should be no surprise if you consider that all we ever see in the form of advertisment or media completely reinforces this notion of a problem free life. Maybe this is the reason the scripture exhorts us to "renew our minds and not be conformed to the patterns of this world"? but I digress...

Can there be good lessons in hard times? I think so, if we look for the lessons and work that our heavenly Father continues to do in our lives out of His love and goodness and mercy, yes, even and especially in hard times.


Yesterday, I had a good lesson. As friend of mine was telling me about a company that has three owners, two brothers and a sister. This company, like many, are experiencing severe cash flow problems at the moment. Their options most likely would be, lay offs or find financing to continue operations. As it happened, all three of these owners decided to take out second mortgages on their own homes in order to keep the company going and avoid folks losing their jobs.


Now, I don't know what their motivations were for this move, but I can tell you what my feelings and the person who was telling this story were at that very moment. It was this: "that's a company I would like to work for, that's a company that I could pledge my loyalty to." In other words, I had an instant desire to want to work for owners like this. It would be more than just collection a check each week. Their sacrifice motivates me to want to give more.


Now, as I considered this thought, it occurred to me that these should also be the same feelings we should have in our relationship to our Lord Jesus Christ but even more so. I mean think about it, I tremble at the thought of even comparing these owners small act of sacrifice to His act of sacrifice at the cross but it helped me to see where my attitude is lacking and where it should be to become a follower or Christ and worshipper of God. I guess seeing this act that was perceived as sacrificial love made it real for both me and the person telling me this story. When sacrificial love becomes a real thing, there is real power to change my heart and motivate me to act.


I don't know what happens to us as Christians overtime. I think we become dull in the routine and forgetful of the true meaning of the gospel. Even if we are doing good things for the Lord, our attitude and love is really what matters the most. Listen to this rebuke by Christ to one of His churches from the the book of Revelation 2:4 " But this I have against you, you have left the love you had in the beginning. So remember where you were before you fell. Change your hearts and do what you did at first. If you do not change, I will come to you and will take away your lampstand from its place."

I am thankful for this lesson yesterday. It helped me to see and remember how far I have gotten away from my first love. Christ is not my employer, he is my King, Saviour, Lord, Friend, Brother and Father. He did not put a second mortgage on his house to give me a job, but listen to what He did do: "Who,(Christ), being in the very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obediant to death - even death on a cross!" Phillipians 2 6-7.

And this was done out of love, not just for me or you, but for the whole world...listen to what my "Golden thoughts" calander sent to me by our good friend Pastor Igor says for today and may it remind us all of the tremdous salvation we have in Christ Jesus," Saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation." Isa. 45.17

May we all find these great lessons and remindars in hard times...Vince