Strong spirits: paradox
Okay, but what do I do with my circumstances?
Are you familiar with paradox? It's a statement that seems self-contradictory, but which may in fact reveal a deeper truth. Jesus used them in his teachings quite a bit to counter the common wisdom of the world and point people to his deeper truth.
From the sermon on the plain we get some of these. "Happy are you poor; the kingdom of God is yours! Happy are you who are hungry now; you will be filled! Happy are you who weep now; you will laugh." (Luke 6:20,21)
Be happy if I am poor? hungry? weeping? Really? Really. You see, God is beyond our circumstances. What he is asking of us is to trust him, and not to worry about circumstances if they are bad, or cling to them if they are good. Put him in charge of your life and circumstances. Learn to trust him in all matters.
And what do I do with my circumstances? Let them go... to him. He's the one who can best deal with them.
He offers us himself and his joy freely - neither of which are dependent on circumstance. Why not take him up on this?
Besides serving as pastor at Caledonia Congregational Church, Gary Schwerin is the Spiritual Development Minister for the YMCA of the Rock River Valley and Executive Director of Bridge Ministries of Rockford. Prior to launching Bridge Ministries, Gary spent many years in leadership with Young Life. His columns appear here every Sunday - to see them all, subscribe to our daily email.
