significance

We all want our lives to count for something. When our days come to an end we want to know that we made a difference. We want to know that our time on earth wasn’t wasted. We long for significance. The problem is that we tend to get the concept of greatness upside down. We think greatness and significance means that we wield power and authority, but Jesus taught that in the kingdom of God it’s the opposite.

Jesus said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all” (Mark 10:42-44, NIV). 

Do you want your life to be noteworthy? Give yourself to others in sacrificial love and service in the name of Christ. Then your life will be significant, not only for today, but for eternity.

overworked and underappreciated

This week I read about a young mother who sat with her almost four-year-old son on her lap and told him he was going to have a new baby brother soon. She explained that he could hold the baby’s bottle, bring a clean diaper when needed, and push the baby carriage. He finally got off her lap, stood in front of her and very seriously said, “And what are you going to be doing while I do all the work?”

Seriously, we know that moms are overworked and underappreciated, but for at least one day of the year we want to express to you our deep gratitude and appreciation for all that you do. You are the glue that holds our homes together. You are an anchor when we are wavering. You are our friend when we feel alone and betrayed. You are a reflection of our Savior’s love and grace. You teach us of God’s forgiveness and His unconditional love.

We, the beneficiaries of your breathtaking care and devotion, have so much that we want to say, but lack the words to adequately express all that is in our hearts. It will have to suffice to say, “Thank you for being who you are. You are loved.”

three dark days

There are few times in the life of a church that are as filled with joy as Easter. There’s something remarkable that happens when people who have had an encounter with a risen Christ and have found their lives being transformed by His grace come together and celebrate the day Christ conquered death. The joy is palpable because the resurrection reminds us that we who were dead are now alive. It’s an exciting time for us, but have you ever thought about how the disciples must have felt during the three days and three nights when Jesus’ lifeless body was lying in a cold, dark tomb guarded by Roman soldiers? We can tolerate Jesus’ suffering because we know the end of the story, but that wasn’t true for those who walked the dusty roads of Palestine with their beloved rabbi. For them, all they knew was that the one in whom they had placed all of their hope for the future had been railroaded by a sham trial and butchered by the barbaric Romans. All of their dreams for the future had been tied to this man and now he was dead…and so were their dreams. All the time wasted arguing about who would be the greatest in the kingdom seemed silly now. How could there be a kingdom if there is no king? All the miracles that had been performed seemed pointless. The one who had walked in power that was beyond their comprehension had been murdered. Placing their hope in this man now seemed, at best, misguided. The joy of knowing Jesus had evaporated.

The fact is, Jesus had told them repeatedly that he was going to suffer and die. He had explained to them over and over again that His kingdom was not of this world. He had tried to help them see that this had all been planned before time began. He tried to reassure them that after He suffered humiliation and death that He would rise from the dead on the third day, but they never understood it, perhaps because they were so busy denying that he would die in the first place. Regardless, they lived a grim existence devoid of hope for three days and three nights.

Like the disciples, there are times in life when we find ourselves in a place filled with darkness, gloom, and despair. What may have started out as a beautiful, hope-filled day turned bleak and desolate in an instant. Maybe the anguish descended after a conversation with your doctor and the news was not good. Maybe it came because the one person you thought you could trust thrust the knife of betrayal deep into your back and twisted it for good measure. Maybe the agony came because you’re facing a mountain of financial problems so large that it seems an exercise in futility to attempt to scale it. Maybe the sorrow came because the one you love decided to walk out the door, leaving you with a broken heart and a life bursting with worry and uncertainty. Your joy may have vanished like a morning fog that’s been burned away by the midday sun. Depression and anxiety may have descended upon you like a shadowy, foreboding cloud. Like the disciples, it may seem that any expectation for a brighter tomorrow has melted away and evaporated like an ice cube on the sidewalk on a sweltering summer day.

The good news is that the disciples' story didn't end there and neither does our’s. The three days of pain, disillusionment, and confusion that the disciples endured must have seemed like an eternity to them…but then came Sunday. Jesus rose from the dead. When He came back to life, He breathed new life into the disciples. Suddenly, the hope that had died was alive again because Jesus was alive. Suddenly, the joy that had melted away came rushing back into their souls because Jesus was alive. Suddenly, the future that had become so bleak was now brighter than they had ever imagined because Jesus was alive.

The resurrection of Jesus has the same power for us. He is alive. He has conquered our sin and vanquished the grave. That knowledge restores our joy when we are discouraged. That knowledge fills us with hope when circumstances seem impossible. That knowledge assures us of our future no matter what may happen to us in this life. Even when we walk through the valley of despair, faith is still alive because Jesus is alive. No matter what sorrows may befall us in this life, we gain strength knowing that it is only temporary and we are not forsaken. The one who overpowered death, hell, and our sins is walking with us. Hold on to Jesus. He will not leave you alone.