Sometimes we Christians really like to get nostalgic and think back to the “good old days”. Times today, they are a changing! I will admit that we are living in a society that is starting to look more and more like Aldous Huxley’s “A Brave New World” but I am far from discouraged. There are several reasons why I am still holding on to a positive attitude:

1. Christianity has traditionally spread under persecution and difficult times. During the plague in Rome, it was the Christians that stayed in the cities and cared for the sick and dying. Even the doctors left for the country when the plague came. When the Christians were seen as loving and caring for even the dying–remember there were no hospitals at this time–Romans took notice and wanted to know what made these people different and what God did they serve.

2. We stop being complacent with our faith. Difficult times force us to really make a decision regarding what our faith means to us. Is our faith alive and vibrant, or are we OK just going through the motions and living a “good” life?

3. Ministry opportunities abound today! Steve Sonderman said, “We can be tempted to be angry that our world seems to be going from bad to worse. Yet, what we see as problems in our society, we must grasp as opportunities for ministry.” Think about the impact that we can have in our communities today! God is looking for those who would serve Him because as Jesus said, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.” (Matthew 9:37)

4. We know the outcome of this struggle–God wins!!! We know that this life is going to be difficult. We know that there is going to be pain and hardships while we are here. Often times, we long to be taken out of this struggle, but we need to remember Jesus’ words to us in John 17:15, “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.” Jesus prays for us to stay in the struggle and be about the ministry He has given us! He also prays for our protection from the evil one which means that ultimately we will be protected and the evil one can only take so much from us. Our eternal home is secure with our Lord!

So stay encouraged and stay in the struggle! Don’t be discouraged and remember that we are covered in the prayers of our Savior!

More to come…
Jeremy