October 16, 2006

Good Morning! Autumn moves along; does this one seem cooler than usual to you?
The happiness the world is searching for seems to be simply relief from itself. The world would be happy with no war, no discrimination, no health problems, and prosperity for all. Happiness for all usually comes down to getting relief from their current situation. We can certainly see where that comes from! However, unlike the world, we know that relief only comes in Christ Jesus. This does not mean that we are going to receive that relief immediately here on earth. We are relieved of the burden of our sins even though the accuser may replay them for us through those mental images that pop into our minds or through the long memories of others. We are relieved of the burden of guilt; though once again we may squirm over the hot coals of bad memories or be raked over those same coals by another person. We are relieved of the burden of the future; though we may continue trying to wrestle control back from our Lord. We are relieved of loneliness; though we may not always be with some other person. We are relieved of earthly ambition; though we may still desire to succeed in our workplace and receive human accolades. In Christ we are relieved of many burdens that we may stubbornly cling to from our old life. A minister once gave the illustration that we throw our burdens at the foot of the cross, praise Jesus for his infinite mercy, and then gather our burdens back up and take off into life once more. How often does that come true?
We can lay those burdens down and work on our character. However, most of the work will be done by the Holy Spirit as we face the trials and temptations with the everlasting and renewing strength of Christ Jesus. We may stumble on that road for our freedom of choice remains with us even now. Every time we fall, we will be picked up, dusted off, and set back on the path. Falling may not feel good, even though the temptation is seductive, and those hurts can pile up more of those burdens for us. Put the thoughts the accuser whispers in your mental ear away; look only to Jesus. If you need help finding him, check out the entire New Testament and if that isn’t enough go to the Old Testament, both testaments point to the Messiah!

May God’s peace give you another wonderful week!

Bucky