This past Saturday afternoon Jo and I went with some friends to see Jesus Revolution. It has surprised many pundits at the box office, taking in more than they ever predicted or maybe even dreamed of. My purpose here is not to give a review but to make a point about one of the characters.
The movie is about the early “story” of Pastor Greg Laurie’s search for meaning and hope in a world gone mad (some things never change do they?). It was a lesson though that Pastor Greg learned many years later-far removed from those Jesus Movement days-that sticks with me. On July 25, 2008, Greg’s son, Christopher, died in a car accident he was responsible for. As you can imagine, Greg was devastated beyond words. I have 2 daughters and I simply cannot imagine the grief and pain I would feel if they were taken from this life.
But through his pain, Greg received some great words of wisdom from his mentor, Pastor Chuck Smith. Smith said,
“Don’t ever trade what you know for what you don’t know.”
With that in mind, what do I know?
- I know that God loves me.
- I know that God wants what is best for me (even though I can’t see it).
- I know God has a plan for my life and knows the end of my days.
- I know God has promised to never leave me or forsake me.
- I also know God doesn’t always give me what I want and sometimes I have to wait for His answer.
Sometimes God doesn’t answer prayers as quickly as I want or would like Him to. But He will not let me down. Delays are not necessarily denials. Sometimes we have those dark nights of the soul.
So…the next time you or I feel abandoned; the next time you or I feel alone; the next time you or I feel God is not listening “Don’t ever trade what you know for what you don’t know.”
I heard it said recently: “Feelings are a great check engine light, but a terrible GPS.” Don’t trust your feelings. Trust the ONE whom you know.
