Flexing the Gospel Like a Champ
What sign are you waiting for that will cause you to flex the power of your salvation?
Luke 21 says: 25 “And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth, distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, 26 people fainting with fear and the expectation of the things which are coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
Are you waiting for the earthquake? Are you waiting for the elevator to get stuck and the lights to go out? Are you waiting for a school shooting too close to home for comfort? Are you waiting for that immediate answer when you pray, “God, give me a sign…”?
Sometimes we want a sign that gives us a reason to flex our faith. How about those stars that form the Big Dipper for our eyes tonight? How about Venus shining brightly? How about the price of gas going down? Oops, I mean how about the price of gas going up? I mean, how about the price of gas going down? How about one of the presidential candidates saying something controversial?
Jesus says: What’s so special about them today that wasn’t so special about them 10 days ago, or a year ago? These things have been going on since the creation of the world, which means every event in our lives is an opportunity to take hold of that salvation blessing we have and flex it in unstoppable ways. We can flex it to our own comfort, as it reminds us that no matter what may flash across the sky, be it a meteorite, Superman, or Sputnik, our salvation is an unchangeable promise that God will always be victorious and will strengthen us when the world gets weak. We can flex that salvation well past Giving Tuesday as we serve, serve again, and serve some more, to show honor to the coming King. We can flex that salvation by not panicking around others when catastrophe seems inevitable. We can flex our salvation by telling people that the message of salvation has no end; it will continue to be a steadfast promise for all who seek Jesus Christ and His mercy, Lordship, and protection.
Your salvation holds power. It’s not something that’s only good on a Sunday or when you take your last breath, but it’s a life-long antidote to Wall Street crashes, subway crashes, stubbing your toe, and the death of a child. Your salvation is not going to prevent those things from happening, but it is the stability of knowing that Christ has offered Himself up so that we can be prepared for these events (signs) that announce we are always one day closer to the return of our Lord and Savior. Our salvation gives us a choice in how we respond to the little inconveniences, it gives us hope for loved ones caught in tragedy, and it can help us overlook the useless things that cause people to panic. Who cares if Netflix stops working? Who cares if I stub my toe? Who cares if Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump is President?
The goal of Christ’s salvation is to stay grounded in the midst of the turmoil we find in life. It reminds us of our future. It also helps us through the most difficult of circumstances and the things we think are the most difficult of circumstances.
So, how about flexing that salvation today. Take hold of that salvation opportunity and show its strength. Amen.
Recent Comments