Believers must live like they know the answers

To the Editor:

We all look at our lives and often see a great lack of things being as they should be, and of power to make them so. Worse, even our opinions rarely comprehend what would make anything right.

We often feel that if only someone would do this or that, everything would work right. Or if that person, or “they,” would stop what they’re doing, or be quiet and get out of the way, everything would be fine.

But if we think we believe in Jesus Christ, the living son of the almighty God of the entire universe, ruler of everything, we need to live like we know with full assurance that he means it when he says he is only good, and knows everything, and is the author of all truth, and speaks only truth, and has the only good plan for our lives, the answer to every question, the only solution to every problem — and has all power to accomplish his purposes.

What is the goal he is working toward? What are those plans and purposes? We need to ask him with a humble heart, with the sincere desire to be on his side, and he will make himself known to us.

Because we need to live it — today. Our families need us to live it. Our neighbors need us to live it.

He’s called us to stop listening to fears, focusing on failures, and listening to the supposed experts who agree on nothing except that it’s impossible to know what’s right — and truly place our attention on the one who has called us and enabled us to be saved from our own foolishness, and begin to live life eternal in the truth and power of Jesus Christ — today.

There is no point in pretending we believe he arose from death. A pretense is all we have while we refuse to live with him.

But so much as we will accept the fact that he died in our place and rose up and now walks in life, and invites us, who deserve nothing good, yet to join him in total repudiation of what we deserve — in living his life instead.

Then beginning immediately, that much of the awesome joy and effectiveness that is his will permeate us and spill out of us toward all those around.

Paul Porter

Ironwood