You're On Your Own, Kid

I've noted an interesting thought pattern in a lot of Christians and I'm not at all sure they're aware of it.

In conversations with fellow believers about difficult circumstances and events in their lives, they seem to feel as if they're on their own. "Me against the world," so to speak. Relationship trials, economic problems, job difficulties, on and on ... all seem to be "up to me" and, therefore, too often outside of our ability to manage let alone fix. Parents encounter problems and ask, "What can you do?" Spouses collide with spouses and ask, "What can you do?" We look at our world around us slipping farther and farther from God's ideals and ask, "What can we do?"

Now we are Christians. We believe our bibles. We can even quote Jesus's, "I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Heb 13:5). We all love that "we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose" (Rom 8:28). So many lovely promises of God's presence and His power in our lives. We affirm them ... and then operate as if we're on our own. Why is that?

I just wanted to tell you, fellow believer. You're not. In a conflict with a coworker or neighbor or spouse and don't know what to do? You're not in that alone. Struggling with making ends meet, with finding a spouse, with living with a lout? You're not in that alone. What to do with the kids? What to do with your life? What to do with your morning? You're not in that alone. Not only that, but He promises to work it out for good. Let me ask you this. If you knew that He was always present and always working, would it be easier, say, to forgive? To bear up? To keep on going? If you actually believed that God was who He says He is and is doing what He says He is doing, would that have practical implications for how you live your life, see your world, interact in everyday things? Do you? Does it? Something to consider.