I’ve never been known as a quitter, but the mystery of the future is hard to endure when life isn’t playing out as you expected. Influenced by instant success early on, I assumed there wouldn’t be surprises around the next corner, causing you to want to turn around or head off in a different direction. Saturday was one of those days, as impatience brought me to a ledge of despair. Just as I was about to give up, a glimmer of hope appeared in the distance.
Galatians 6:9-10 contains a similar message to those who begin to think, “what’s the point; why should I waste my time doing good when nothing seems to change?” This mindset is like the parable of weeds, Matthew 13:24-30, sowed by the devil, trying to convince souls their short term effort isn’t worth the long term gains. This explains why so many so called Christians fall away from God during their college years, illustrated by the 2014 movie God is Not Dead, with one foot in the world and the other trying to remember what the Bible says. Perhaps, Jesus’ younger brother was right, writing, “nobody knows what’s around the next corner in life,” James 4:14.
As for me, I was frustrated by a lack of progress at work. Like Charles Dutton, the janitor at Irish Stadium in the movie Rudy, I allowed bitterness get the best of me. These negative thoughts prevented me from seeing around the next corner, a compliment and reward for my hard work. Thus, what started off as a bad day in my view, changed in an instance. Therefore, don’t let your mind blind you from the gifts from above waiting for you in the future, James 1:17-18. I look forward to hearing what the Lord is doing in the lives of his children around the next corner.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 