Are Things Out of Control?

There's lots of bad news today isn't there? I don't have to rehearse all the things that are going wrong, are out of control, or that are just plain lousy. You know all about them? What I wanted to get at is how the bad news in the world and in your own life affects you?

When you hear bad news does it take its toll on your mood? Does your attitude seem to get lower and lower the more you listen to the radio, read the paper, or watch the 9pm news on T.V.? How do the bad things in the world affect how you live your life?

Paul said in Romans chapter six verse two that we died to sin, how can we live in it any longer? While this applies to the sins that we commit it can also apply to how we live with the sin around us, how we take it in, how it affects our mood and ultimately what our Christian witness looks like.

As Christians we have the most powerful and best good news there is. We know that Christ died and rose again, and that by his death and resurrection he has defeated sin, death, the devil and hell forever. We are no longer slaves to sin, because sin has lost its power. We can count ourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Yet, even though we have the most wonderful news in our lives and written on our hearts we walk around with our heads hung low and shuffling our feet like Eeore. You remember Eeore, the guy who seemingly had nothing going right in his life. The guy who was always, "woe is me." Does this sound like you lately?

Now if we died with Christ we know that we will also live with Him. We KNOW this and yet we seem to be no different in our attitudes and our actions when it comes to bad news in the world and in our own lives.

Does the good news of Jesus' death and resurrection affect you as much as the bad news of a sinful world? Does the fact that you are saved from your sins and have eternal life with Christ give you as much joy as the bad news gives you sadness?

With all the bad news you would think that the world is coming to an end. You know what? It is! And we who have hope and faith in Jesus Christ look forward to it! We look forward to it with all joy and anticipation because we know that when it does come it will be a glorious day and we will be rid of the sin in the world, the sin in our own lives, and even our sinful human bodies.

If you have this knowledge, it is time for you to shake the dirt of the world off of you. You died to it! How can you live in it any longer? Shake it off, lift up your head to heaven and shout "Alleluia, Christ has saved me." Come on! Do it right now! Get up! Shout it from the rooftops! There is no greater joy and it is yours! Have a blessed day in the Lord!

Rev. Jeremy Klaustermeier

To God All Praise and Glory!