Fighting for peace and joy!

Man I love Romans 5:1-11...if you don't know it then PLEASE go grab your Bible and read it...or read it here

I often think we complain or worry too much about life and all the little menial things that we don't really need to worry about. Life at times can be tough and can be testing, but when you read Romans 5:1-11 you can't help but forget about all that stuff and just smile. Well, I can't help but smile!

There are so many things in my life that I sit around and complain about. But they're not important things and so I have to think to myself, why on earth do I winge about these things? The biggest thing I complain about is being 22 and still single because for as long as I can remember I've wanted to be married with 2 kids by 25. Hahaha...clearly that's not going to happen. But, does my eternal life hinge on whether I'm married with kids? I mean, sure, I won't deny that I still want that life and that my hearts desire is to be married and have kids, but at the end of the day, why am I not content with just God?! I mean, it doesn't make sense really. When you read Romans 5:1-11 and realise that God provides FAR more than a partner could, why would you not be content with that? Obviously there are other things in a relationship that we as humans crave for...or atleast us girls...hugs...kisses...just snuggling up in front of the TV. All those couply things...hehe. But God can give me SO much more than that! He can promise me and give me eternal life in glory with Him!

How often do we complain about things that go wrong in our lives? Like when we're sick or in pain or when we face temptation or trials. When we've lost our job. When someone says or does something hurtful. And rightfully so...right? Well, Romans 5:3-5 says this:

"...but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."

Wow! Imagine REJOICING in our sufferings. Imagine rejoicing in our trials and in temptation. Imagine rejoicing over your flu or over your surgery or over temptation. Imagine rejoicing over losing your job (some of you probably can imagine that tehehe). Imagine rejoicing when someone stabs you in the back! It's hard to imagine isn't it? But God says in His Word...REJOICE in all these things because through them I am making you better people! I am making you people of character and FULL HOPE! A hope that will NEVER disappoint you! So rejoice and be glad in the Lord because He has poured His love into our hearths by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us!

So, tomorrow I expect to see everyone REJOICING in their sufferings! Hahaha...gotcha!!! Just kidding! We're not perfect, so we're not gonna nail this thing...however, we can try to work at it atleast. I find it so hard to grasp at times that persevering and being patient and waiting on God's timing is ultimately going to build my character. I guess that's the beauty of hindsight! :D But, its the truth! God says it in His Word! He wants us to learn to rely on Him and learn to walk in His truth and grace! So, we need to atleast try with all we've got! Verse 6-8 says,

"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

How amazing is that? Isn't that a reason to rejoice in the Lord? I think so! At JUST THE RIGHT TIME! Have you ever thought about God's impeccable timing? I mean, really sat down to think about how perfect it is? In Romans 5:6 He says, "...at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly." Isn't that amazing? Not a minute sooner, not a minute later...it was just the right time! God knew when the time would be and why it would happen at that time! He died while we were still powerless. He showed His grace in SUCH an amazing way! That while we were still sinners He died for us!

You know, when I got this job I had to find somewhere to live and a way to get down here...considering a removalist etc. Well, I knew that this was the job that God wanted me to have...I knew by then that this was the place I was meant to be! But it was up to God and His timing and His provisions to get me here cause I couldn't get here otherwise. Well, man, did He show me what His timing and provisions were all about! My CO's/Pastors arranged for me to get here and to get some of my stuff here...a lady in the church happened to have a boyfriend moving here from Brisbane the following weekend and he had a half empty removal truck, so the rest of my stuff came down with him! I had only 3 months in the first unit I moved into and had to be out. Within that time my CO's/Pastors got a new house...much to their surpise...and that meant that I was then able to move into their house...only 2 weeks before I would have been evicted from my unit! Someone else wanted to buy the unit. It all happened in such perfect timing! Because the watch is on God's wrist, NOT MINE!

The last part is the most exciting! Romans 5:9-11 this is what it says:

Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

How exciting is that? While we were still rejecting God in sin He came and rescued us and reconciled us through His Son! If we are now saved and washed in the blood and sanctified by His Holy Spirit, imagine how much MORE He will justify us and save us and rescue us in our times of suffering and trials! That's incredible don't you think? I mean, think about it! We rejected God. Do we even deserve His grace? Of course not! But that's what His grace is all about. Giving us what we don't deserve because He LOVES us and wants to clothe us in His majesty!! What an awesome God we serve!

We live in exciting times my friends. We live in a time where we can freely choose what we will do with this life God's given us! We live in a time when our voices can be heard! We live in a time where God is moving throughout our nations! We live in a time where God is raising us up to lead those nations and take the gospel to them!! What are you doing with your time? What are you doing with your life? What are you doing for Jesus? Are you sitting around complaining about life and waiting for life to happen to you? Or are you taking a stand and putting action with your words and getting out to make life happen with Jesus? The decision is yours...but remember, the time is God's! At any moment He will return and you will be faced with this question: WHAT DID YOU DO WITH JESUS?

Thanks Jesus, thanks for fighting to give us PEACE AND JOY!