Devotional - June 29, 2022
Romans 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
One of my favorite dialogues in the book, The Hobbit by JRR Tolkein, is between Bilbo and Gandalf when they first meet. Bilbo offers Gandalf the obligatory salutation, "good morning" and Gandalf replies, “Do you wish me a good morning, or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel good this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on?” Bilbo replies, “All of them at once.” The same logic works if you ask someone whether they had a good day. Well, what do you mean? Do you mean the entire day was to my liking? Or, were there enough parts of the day that were good that I can categorically call it good? Or, it is a good day whether the day was enjoyable or not, so it is good. To which they may reply, "all of them at once." Yet, that would not be true for everyone. For some, a good morning or day has a very specific definition. I fear the more selective and specific we become when defining good, the more depressed we become. When one thing can ruin our day, we put ourselves in a position that may leave us frustrated and angry most of the time. Especially, when days come along where most everything goes wrong. It is good to have versatility in our definition of good. Obviously, it cannot be so lacking that anything goes, but keep it fluid, allowing for change. The driving force behind what Paul, in his letter to the Romans, encourages is being positive. I talk a lot about the ills of negativity, but not a lot about a positive mindset. There are numerous benefits on your health and well-being by staying positive. As Christians, one of the best ways to maintain this disposition is not by focussing on the situation, but on who you are in Christ. Many have never taken the time to research this matter. To get a list fast, do a search on Google, search who I am in Christ. Then, write ten of them down and use them during your time for meditation and prayer. Paul and other Biblical writers share these thoughts so their readers can benefit from them as they did. You will notice, all of them are given from a positive perspective. A perspective rooted in God. Everything God does is generative, life producing and sustaining. As with the other aspects of walking by the Spirit, we need God's help to maintain goodness in our lives. Jesus and His followers make plain that life is difficult (John 16:33, James 1: 2-4). The question is, what now? Not, why? We can pretend that hardship and evil are not there and try to live in la-la land, but in doing so, we will end up living the tale of the emperor and his new clothes. Or worse yet, the rich man in many of Jesus' parables (Luke 12: 14-21, 16: 19-31). We can try to deal with adversity through our own means and religiosity ( Matthew 14: 22-29). All of which may have some effect, but will not sustain us over a lifetime. To have that, we need Christ and the strength and assistance He provides (Matthew 14: 30-33, Ephesians 6:10). Then, we have what we need to overcome the evil, the tribulations, and struggles we face in life. My guess is, you know, or maybe you are, or maybe a little of both, someone who is acquainted with strife. And you found that your God knows a thing or two about that as well (Isaiah 53:3), and has helped you through it. Personally, I have seen many overcome tragedy and turmoil in profound ways. They live victorious over their situations. Their wisdom is deep. They truly are spiritual warriors, but the world cannot see them. When the world listens to what they say, it cannot hear them. Their wisdom may not necessarily be in their words, it is in their resolve, their spirit, their faith behind their words. Their days are good and they bring goodness into each day because all that comes against them cannot overcome them.
Pray with me... Holy God we admit we often waste each day pushing against all that pushes against us. We lose the goodness in our hearts over the difficulties in this world. Help us claim the goodness and the assistance You provide for us daily through our relationship with You. Bless our loved ones, we pray, bless them in accordance with their needs. Bless our church, guide us, Lord, that we can be the people You call us to be for we give You all the praise, in Jesus name, Amen.
God's peace,
Pastor Brian
