Now or Later?

Life is always hard. 

I wish there was an easy way around that statement.  Unfortunately, there's not.  Life is hard.

The only question, then, is if you'd rather deal with the hard stuff now or later...

Take your health, for example.  Working out is hard work.  Jumping on the treadmill (and not jumping off within 2 minutes) is hard work.  Lifting weights is hard work.  Your abs will ache.  Your legs will feel like jello.  Staying healthy is hard.

But if you don't go through the hard stuff now, you will later.  Having a heart attack is hard.  Paying medical bills for your blood pressure issues is hard.  Losing a spouse in your 50's is hard.  Those things make us wish we hadn't taken it so easy in the past.

So which will you choose--now or later?  Will you make the hard decisions now or will you be forced to deal with the hard consequences later?

That same concept is true for our spiritual lives.  It's always hard.  The only question is if you'd rather deal with the hard stuff now or later.

In the historic church year, the weeks before Christmas are called Advent.  They are a time of joy as we anticipate the celebration of Jesus' birth and also a time of repentance as we turn away from all that God finds displeasing.

Repentance in the present is hard.  Admitting you are wrong and that you need spiritual help is hard.  Confessing your guilt and dependence is hard.  Coming clean and telling God your short fuse is unacceptable and your "I'm always right" attitude is not okay and my pride is an ugly reality is hard.  Probably harder than anything else in life.

But what's even harder is taking the easy road now.  Because one day Jesus will be here to judge and he knows my heart and your past.  And for the unrepentant, the day he returns will be the hardest day of their lives.

There's a better way.

By God's grace, that way is called repentance.  Turning from sin by the power of God and confessing openly my dependence on my Savior--that's repentance.  My sinful nature sees that as the hardest thing in the world.  But it's worth it.  Going through the hard stuff now is absolutely worth it.

Because  it will make Jesus' return easy...and beautiful.

Jesus said that on that glorious day when he returns, some people will lift up their heads and rejoice.  Others will run for the hills and pray that the mountains would cover them from Jesus' sight.  Those who believe, who turn from sin and towards God, will be the ones rejoicing.  That seems like the wise plan to me.

And here's the crazy thing--The stronger we grow in our faith, the easy repentance becomes.  As we learn to crush those sinful instincts that hate confession, repentance becomes a natural part of our Christian life.  That's not to say that it will ever be a piece of cake to turn from sin, but God does promise to strengthen us.

So do the hard thing now.  Turn from sin in open confession.  Is there anything you've been holding back?  Anyone you've wronged that needs to hear your confession?  Anything that's been hiding away in your heart and gnawing at your conscience.  Confess it.  That will be hard, but hearing God's response will be the most liberating thing in the world.  "If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just and will forgive us our sin and purify us from all unrighteousness," (1 John 1).

Hear about God's gift to you this Christmas season, the Savior who will make your eternity "easy."

God bless,

Pastor Mike