“Come to Jesus and everything will be okay.”
“Come to Jesus and you will have everything you need.”
“Come to Jesus and you won’t have any problems.”
There is a teaching in today’s “Christian” world that is false. Some swear by it; some swear at it. Some say it is misleading; some say it will lead you to new heights. I think a correct word for it would be Heresy.
That teaching? God wants you healthy and wealthy and if you just “speak it with positive confession” good will come (aka “name it/claim it”). One of the side trails this heresy takes is in saying, “Everything will be okay; you will have everything you need; and you won’t suffer.”
I heard recently that Kenneth Copeland, one of the biggest purveyors of this garbage, once told his daughter-when she came home from school saying she was sick-“No you aren’t. We don’t talk like that in this house. Speak health.” He tried to pull that off with his cardiologist. He now wears a pacemaker. Another one’s wife just died of cancer. Another one’s baby was not raised from the dead and after 9 days they finally decided to bury her.
In Mark 4 there is a story of Jesus and His disciples in a boat on the Sea of Galilee. A storm comes up, and it is so strong these sea-hardened fishermen are scared to death. So they wake up Jesus who is asleep in the boat and He calms the storm.
So many thoughts float through my mind as I think of that story.
- Why were they so afraid? A: This had to be one doozy of a storm!
- “Did Jesus know the storm would come? A: Yes. This whole scenario was part of His plan of teaching them more. He had taught about the parable of the sower; what it means to be a light; the importance of planting seed. This is going to be one big lesson!
Perhaps the most important lesson of all-and it applies to us as well- is what we see in Mark 4:35-“Let’s go across to the other side.” (ESV) Key words: other.side. There was no ifs, ands, or buts about it. There was no “If we get through the storm which is about to come we will get to the other side” or “Guys, no problem. Smooth sailing ahead because I’m in the boat.”
Again, I say it: other. side. That was the promise. What was not promised was smooth sailing, even with Jesus in the boat. But therein lies the lesson: we will get to the other side-trouble or no trouble-because Jesus is in the boat with us.
Let me close with this: Expect trouble. But also know that Jesus is in the boat with you and will bring you through the storm. You can anchor your life on that.
Trouble… Pain… HeartAche… Death… Sickness… Financial Hardship… Persecution… Sickness…
And many more…
This is all part of living in a fallen world. A world overrun by sin, a world that has fallen. A world that, for the time being, is decaying.
Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-Control….
These can all be experienced by placing our Hope in the One who has rescued us from this world – Jesus
I will never cap or put limits on what God can do. He can calm the storms of life, but more importantly, He can use those storms to draw us closer to Him. Nobody likes the storm while in it, but having been through a number of life’s storms, I am Thankful for what I learned through them.
Very true Ryan. I think we sometimes forget we live in a world of sin and therefore, will continue suffering the consequences. If people could only see and embrace what Jesus offers it would change their perspective. And I know I have learned more from going through the storms than I have living in a peaceful time. I tend to coast. Thanks for the comment.
The other line I hate is God doesn’t give you more than you can handle. Truth is you cannot handle anything without Jesus. Once you learn to surrender it all to Jesus, small, med, large, impossible, every part of your life. You will see, not only Jesus bring you through the storm, He will teach you how to navigate the storm. Smooth sailing, nope it doesn’t exist, however, giving Jesus the helm, you will always get through the storm and make it to the other side. That is something I want to anchor my life to.
I dislike that line as well Gail. I know people use to help others feel good or to tell themselves “I can do this” but that is exactly the wrong approach. With Christ you can get through it (which is what you say well). Thanks for the comment.
The important thing to remember is that Jesus is with us no matter what may come.
Blessings, Bill!
And THAT is a truth we must never forget.