life: a divine comedy

I believe that one of the biggest battles that we face each day is to not fall into the trap that this world is all there is. So much of the Christian life is determined by your mindset. We are engaged in a battle every second of every day against an enemy that is seeking to fight for our minds and get us to believe the lie that this is all there is. I’ve had a lot of time the past few months to sit in silence. At times, I’ll admit, it really freaks me out. It really forces you to take an honest look at your life, the world around you, and the circumstances that surround you. When things are taken away from you and you are left with a fraction of what once was, you begin to examine yourself and sometimes what you find is not so pretty. So often in the business of life, we attempt to feel our time with busy schedules, road trips, social media, and a plethora of other things that fight for our attention. I’ll be the first to admit that I have been guilty of sacrificing my time for all of the above. Honestly, I think a big reason that we seek these things is that we cannot handle the silence and are scared of what we might find. There is a void that we seek to fill with people or things other than Christ. So much of our identity is wrapped up in this world. We don’t take the time to stop and see what we really are in Christ. This is not something that comes natural to us. Even Paul says, “for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.” (Php 4.11) Hence, we have to learn to be content in any situation. This has been a constant struggle for me and I know that God has brought me to this point so that I can learn to be content with Him and Him alone. As I look back on life, I can attest that nothing is certain. People change, circumstances change, and the only constant we have is our Rock, Christ Jesus. If we find our identity, security, or meaning in anything else, then we are doomed to be disappointed.

How then are we to engage in this battle called life? A lot of people view this life as tragedy. In literature, a tragedy moves from a wonderful beginning to a horrible ending and there is no resolution. As we journey through life and reality sets in, dreams are dashed, relationships are broken, and eventually we all face death. If the Bible ended with the Fall, then by all means this life would be tragic. But this is how we so often live our lives even as believers. We act as if this is it! We fail to realize that full scope of the Bible is not tragedy, but comedy. In the classical sense, a comedy begins on a high note, moves toward despair, and ends triumphantly. This is what the Gospel is all about. We were created as perfect beings, meant to live in fellowship with God and each other. With the Fall, however, despair and death entered the world. The Good News is that the story ends triumphantly for those who are in Christ. This is what the Cross is all about. When Christ died, He conquered sin, Death, and Satan. He died the death that we deserved to die and lived the perfect life that we cannot live. The story of life ends in triumph for those who are a part of His Kingdom. The enemy tries to get us to view this life as a tragedy, and without Christ it is!

When we face loss and pain in this life, we should stop and ask the question, “What are you trying to teach me through this Lord?” Many times we don’t have the all the answers and at times we may not ever know all the purposes that are in the mind of God. I think we rarely stop and ponder the fact that there is a whole other dimension in which our lives are on display. Take Job for instance. Really, God proved Satan wrong at Job’s expense. As far as we know, He was never let in on what was truly going on between God and Satan. As God’s children, we each play a leading role in this EPIC adventure called life. For all we know, the angels are enthralled as they watch our lives, waiting to see how things unfold in this gripping drama. Paul says, “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.” (1 Co 13.12) It is in the midst of loss that our faith is truly tested and refined. Each morning when we wake up, we have a choice to make. Are we going to view this life as a tragedy or the comedy that it truly is? No matter the circumstances, no matter the loss, as children of God, we have the hope that the ending of the story ends triumphantly, not in tragedy.

I wish that I would have taken this more to heart, but there is nothing I can do to change the past. I must now rest in the fact that I have a warrior King who loves me passionately and gave His life for me. I stand cleansed from past sin and He is molding me more and more into His image. His grace is sufficient for every circumstance and I am commanded to worship Him and praise Him even in the midst of loss. He has been nothing but good to me and He loves me so much that He was willing to discipline me so that I do not lose sight of the eternal purposes. As I think of my life being on display, I pray that I remain faithful and engage in this epic battle knowing that whatever happens in this life, I can say that I fought the good fight and finished the race! To hear Him say, “Well done, Michael, my good and faithful servant!” will far outweigh any loss or pain that I experience in this life. May this forever be my prayer!