THERE'S A RESURRECTION IN YOUR FUTURE

In my recent posts I’ve been exploring the theme of what we search for in life. We definitely live in a time where the choices we face each day are endless. It used to be you could have chocolate or vanilla ice cream. Then someone got the crazy idea of adding strawberry flavor. A little confession here: I enjoy frequenting Baskin Robbins 31 Flavors occasionally, and even they can’t limit themselves to only 31 flavors anymore. There are times when people stand at the order counter and take ten minutes to decide what they want because there are so many choices. (For me, I’m usually a chocolate almond kind of guy)

One of the areas where I think we face a choice is in our overall attitude and approach towards life. All of us face challenging circumstances. All of us have to deal with hard things which come at us sometimes like a punch to the gut or the face (neither one is a pleasant experience). When these kinds of times interrupt and intersect our lives the tendency for some people is to go into the “survival mode.” This instinctive reaction is initially helpful because we immediately take steps to insure our safety and security. We sometimes intentionally take steps to simplify our lives and to focus on what is most important. This is usually a good thing. When you think about it, challenging circumstances serve a very important function in our lives, if it forces us to get back to doing what is most important. 

After our initial reaction to the changes which have come into our lives, all of us face a life-defining choice. This is a choice which will determine the direction of life for the near future. Here’s the choice: Will I search for a way to survive or thrive? I am aware the suggestion a person can thrive on the other side of difficult circumstances may sound extremely unrealistic to you. Here’s the big idea I want to communicate in today’s blog: If you search for a way to survive, and are unsuccessful, you’re not going to be in a very good place in your life. On the other hand, if you search for a way to thrive, and are unsuccessful, there’s a good chance you will land somewhere between surviving and thriving. It’s similar to goal-setting. If you set low, easy to achieve goals and fall short, you’re not in a great spot. Failure is never fun! If you set high goals, which provoke you do your very best, even if you do fall short, you’ve made significant strides in your life. In this way, even “failure” is progress in a positive direction.

People who seek to thrive and who are searching for God’s very best in their lives every day, I believe, are in the best position to see God do amazing things. 

In John 12:24 Jesus brought out a truth from farming, which should rock our world. Here’s what he said: “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” I’m not an expert in farming or gardening, but I do know that a seed doesn’t die when it’s placed in the ground. The potential for life is contained in the seed and the possibility of explosive, exponential growth is packed into each small seed. Where Jesus goes in this statement is he addresses how thing appear to the naked eye. Once the seed is covered by soil, it appears as though it has died. Do you ever feel like life has dumped a pile of dirt on top of you? To the person who is ruled by what they see, the disappearance of the seed can appear to be the end, when in reality it’s the first step towards an amazing new beginning. In today’s newspaper I saw a picture of a guy from Half Moon Bay, California who grew a 1,200 pound pumpkin this year. This Spring his prize-winning pumpkin started out as a seed which was the size of a coin. 

This statement from Jesus (in John 12:24) is one which has been important to me in my life and continues to be. For those of us who follow Jesus, we have a completely different perspective when someone or something dies. The resurrection of Jesus Christ completely redefined death. Even when it looks like the “seed” has died, in a few days there may be a resurrection. If you want to experience a thriving life in Christ, you have to hold on to the hope: “It ain’t ever over.” Your dream may be in the process of being refined and re-defined, but it ain’t dead. Your plans may be redirected and you may find yourself in a place in life you never imagined, but the seed of God’s Word was sowed into you so it would grow. There’s a resurrection in your future, if you don’t give up!