So……You Think You’re Special?

I often encounter faithful Christians who share their frustration about the temptations in their lives. Many faithful Christians also question why they struggle in life. There seems to be belief, unfounded in Sacred Tradition and the Holy Scriptures, in which faithful Christians shouldn’t be tempted nor suffer. This myth is perpetuated by “The Prosperity Gospel” which suggests that God desires for His followers to be comfortable and prosper in worldly fashion. Preachers such as Joel Osteen fill huge arenas filling people with hopes of future comforts and worldly success. Just believe God wants it for you, and you will achieve it….so they preach.  And when the believer doesn’t become rich or they suffer what they consider an “injustice” from God, the cause is their lack of faith and positive thinking. And all along, the preacher becomes wealthy in the process.

Some cannot deal with the pressure of suffering in a world they are told they should not be suffering. Many turn to drugs and alcohol for comfort, or a life of moral decay and financial collapse. When they hit rock bottom, if they survive the decline, the preachers are gone and offer nothing but, “You didn’t have enough faith.” They have nowhere to turn, so they think, and finally become angry with God for letting them down.

It is at that moment when I ask, “What makes you think you’re so special that you shouldn’t suffer?” This may sound tough, but it was self-oriented advice that brought them to this low place to begin with, and just as a drug addict must be shocked into sobriety, I have found (in my experience) that selfish addict requires the same shock treatment. “After all,” I say, “Jesus was tempted and suffered. Do you REALLY think you’re better than Him? Do you REALLY think YOU deserve not to suffer, but He did?”

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.  And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. (Matthew 4.1-2)Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands. (Matthew 26.67

Some will say to me, “Sure, but that was Jesus. He could handle it because He’s God.” Then I remind them Christians have been suffering all along.

Have you suffered so many things in vain -- if indeed it was in vain? (Galatians 3.4)For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus. For you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, just as they did from the Judeans, who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they do not please God and are contrary to all men. (1 Thessalonians 2.14-15)

So Jesus Christ and His Church have suffered and were tempted to help us.

For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted. (Hebrews 2.18)

You may be in the midst of a great struggle, or you have just completed a great struggle and “licking your wounds” looking back and wondering why it all took place. You may be tempted to blame God for your struggle. You may be tempted to think you deserve better in life because you believe in Jesus Christ. You may believe Jesus let you down. Please keep this in mind…..you are TEMPTED to believe these things about God, because someone doesn’t want you to know the truth.

The truth is; you don’t deserve better, not because you’re bad, but because nobody deserves better.

The truth is; nobody deserves God’s love, but He loves you anyway.

The truth is; you will suffer, and God didn’t make you suffer, but He is holding your hand right now.

The truth is; God has NEVER left you.

We are all in the same boat. We “all fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3.23) but He loves us anyway. You’re not special, but you are one of us. Join us and we can struggle together.

YOU'RE the not-yet-perfect one!

2013 New Testament Challenge – Day 18 (Reflections on Galatians and Ephesians)

Every year I participate in a special effort called the New Testament Challenge sponsored by a priest of the Orthodox Church in America. He encourages Christians to spend the Christmas Fast, also known as Advent) reading the entire New Testament as a preparation for Christmas. Each year I have done this, it has been blessing to me and I pray this year will be no different. As part of the New Testament Challenge, I endeavor to blog a bit about the reading for that particular day. I may miss a few, but I pray for those who follow this blog (NOW ALSO ON FACEBOOK) it will be a blessing.

As I have already blogged, it is my intent to share some thoughts that stand out to me while I am reading each day for the New Testament Challenge. Today’s readings from Galatians and Ephesians reminded me that, as Christians, we are all in the process of becoming….like Christ.

And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2.1-7)

We have BEEN MADE by God that we MIGHT BECOME...We cannot forget that Saint Paul was writing to ALREADY BAPTIZED Christians. They had been made new in their Baptism, but they were not yet complete. The same goes for us. We have been made new in our Baptism, but that doesn’t mean we are not still being made in the image of God. We will not be a complete “work” until Christ returns. This is why the Church uses the expression, “We WERE saved, we ARE saved, and we are BEING saved.” We are still becoming.

If we could only remember that we are not exactly where God wants us! “Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? (Galatians 3.3) And if WE are not yet perfect, how can we not be more patient with others? Something to think about…

Until tomorrow…..remember YOU’RE the not-yet’perfect one….don’t be so quick to judge others.

It doesn't matter where you've been; what matters is where you're going.

Saint Paul, arguably one of the greatest champions of Jesus Christ, began not merely as an unbeliever, but a strong persecutor of the Faith. In his own words he admits his atrocities. "For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the Church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it." (Galatians 1.13) If he had remained an unbeliever, there is no telling how many Christians he would have killed. But God had a plan for him to guide the Church rather than kill it. He has a plan for you too. You may have a checkered past. You may not be the most faithful Christian around. You not even think He wants you in the Church. You might, you aren't, but He DOES want you in the Church. You're not alone. St Paul didn't respond immediately either. He said, "I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me....then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and remained with him fifteen days." (Galatians 1.16-18) The issue isn't whether or not you have always been faithful. God is calling you to repentance just as He called Saint Paul. Will you keep denying His call, or will you accept His invitation to begin a new life in Christ, where you can leave the old behind.