What is Good In Your Life?

     I opened my computer to start my devotion though nothing was stirring within me to write about. That doesn’t worry me too much because many times God doesn’t speak until my fingers are on the keyboard. However, I felt led to check in on my Facebook friends before I went to write the devotion. The remarks on Facebook always interest me; they are so diverse. Some days seem to have a sad and depressing tone to the statuses: today was one of those days. I read some that said they were down in the dump, or have had a hard day, or can’t wait for this day to be over. However, there was one that caused me to pause with my mouth hanging open and I really would just like to cry for this person. Their status read, “I love how nothing good ever happens to me!” This is the person I saw accept Christ just over a year ago! Nothing good has happened to them? I then saw 12 responses and was relieved to see that others would surely lovingly remind her of the great things in her life; like two children! Here are some of the comments:
“I feel you, one day it will be our turn I hope!” “I'm out of toilet paper because of you.” “Haha that's funny. Umm I think we all feel like that until we think we are in love. . Then we find out that was a big lie as well.” “I sure hope so cause life sure does suck right now!” “I am in the same boat....just keep your head up!” “I so know that feeling” “me too!!” “If it makes you feel any better I just got broken into for the third time this year, second time in as many months. Got us for about $3000 worth of stuff. Your life isn't that bad.”
     WOW! Such wonderful, encouraging remarks! It is so easy to look at the junk in life and then compare our junk! Life can be hard and I do not want to ever make light of that. It seems like there are sad stories everywhere and everyone is hurting. In the last few weeks I have heard of a young couple losing their newborn a year after they lost their first newborn; a mother who died and left a 21 year old to take care of her four siblings and two children; a young father who got hit on his motorcycle and was found dead a day later; many marriages dealing with adultery to lack of love and attentiveness; parents dealing with the health and emotional struggles of their children; single parents losing jobs; people diagnosed with cancer; a person who can’t afford their medicines any more; and a three year old that drowned. That doesn’t count the day to day problems of jobs, finances, relationships, busyness, child rearing, heartbreaks, and sickness. YES, LIFE IS HARD!! We are not in Heaven yet!
     Just because we have hard times in life does not mean that nothing good has happened to us! It just means we are counting our junk instead of our treasures. It is these times we have to do what the old hymn says, ‘count your blessings; name them one by one’. Some of our blessings are: children, family, friends, life, a bed to sleep in, food to eat, and the most important . . . God’s love! If you are a Christian, God has proved His love for you by giving you eternal life with Him!
     As bad as this life can be, remember that without God this is the best it is going to be for you because one day you will spend eternity in hell. But if you are a Christian, this is the worse it will be for you because you will spend eternity in Heaven with Jesus!
     May you remember that because of who you are in Jesus Christ, you are more than the choices you've made, or the sum of your past mistakes, or the problems you have, or about what you've done, or where you've been, or your brokenness. You are a child of God (or you have the choice to be a child of God). Jesus loved you enough to die for you. He wants to heal your brokenness. He offers you forgiveness. He walks with you. He wants a relationship with you. He gives you a new heart and makes you a new creature.
     Now, what is more important? Your problems or the amazing love God gives you?

I’ve been flogged five times with the Jews’ thirty-nine lashes, beaten by Roman rods three times, pummeled with rocks once. I’ve been shipwrecked three times, and immersed in the open sea for a night and a day. In hard traveling year in and year out, I’ve had to ford rivers, fend off robbers, struggle with friends, struggle with foes. I’ve been at risk in the city, at risk in the country, endangered by desert sun and sea storm, and betrayed by those I thought were my brothers. I’ve known drudgery and hard labor, many a long and lonely night without sleep, many a missed meal, blasted by the cold, naked to the weather. And that’s not the half of it, when you throw in the daily pressures and anxieties of all the churches. When someone gets to the end of his rope, I feel the desperation in my bones. When someone is duped into sin, an angry fire burns in my gut. If I have to “brag” about myself, I’ll brag about the humiliations that make me like Jesus.
2Corinthians 11:24-30