God Is Victorious!
"The Lord helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him."
-- Psalm 37:40
It's easy to get caught up in all the wrong around us. We are consumed with our rights -- the right to be first in line, the right to do things our way, the right to know best for everyone around us. Then we get consumed with the slightest offense. Sometimes it isn't even an offense or insult. It's just that someone else is doing something differently than we would do it.
Other times, of course, it's a big deal. Someone tells lies about us. Someone steals our idea to get ahead. Someone steals money from a person we care about. Or someone breaks our heart. I could go on and on. We see people getting ahead while we, trying to live a righteous life, fall further and further behind. It's just not fair!
But, as the cliche goes, life isn't fair. We live in a fallen world. Sin abounds. Sometimes evil people who do evil things do seem to get ahead. At least in the here and now. God promises us refuge from their wickedness. It is a battle God already has won, after all. We know the end of the story,
So why do we spend so much time and attention on people and circumstances we cannot change? We are responsible for our own lives and our own actions. There is no way we can control the sins of others when we can't even control sin in our own lives.
What we can do is focus on living our lives in such a way that others can see Jesus living in us. We can show them with our actions and words that a different way exists. But we can't make them change. We can't force them to accept the eternal life Jesus has given to us. They have a choice, just like we do. But we can show them a different way, a way that seeks God's will over self enhancement.
We can also remember that no matter how upset we get with someone and his/her actions, that person belongs to God too. He may be lost in sinful choices but God loves him and wants him to accept His offer of salvation. That makes us squirm somehow. Surely not, we think silently. But we're sinners too. The only difference is we accepted Jesus and, through His sacrifice, we gained eternal life.
We know the end of the story. Every sinner deserves to know the end of the story.
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