Don't Skip to the End

 

03/01/2022

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. ‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,’ and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.” 

And the One seated on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” Then He said, “Write this down, for these words are faithful and true.” And He told me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give freely from the spring of the water of life. The one who overcomes will inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he will be My son. But to the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death," - Revelation 21:1-8

In light of recent events we notice a subject which always arises during times of crisis. Eschatology. You know: the end-times; Daniel; the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ; prophecies. 

It's a time when some will tell you, "If you haven't already been prepping it's too late!" "Preachers” exercise their bible verse memorization skills, discovering portions of God’s word to speak to real-time events. “Prophets” spin world events into such a muddled mess that their eisegesis (look it up - it’s your homework for today) begins to somehow make sense.

It is also a moment when Christians can say some of the most off-handed and inappropriate comments.

A dear friend, Heather, shared a book with us she recently finished. Kate Bowler, an Associate Professor of the History of Christianity in America, at Duke Divinity School, is the author and it is titled: Everything Happens for a Reason - and Other Lies I Have Loved. It is an incredible read containing raw unfiltered emotions, intelligence, love, worry, fear, faith, and even joy - written with biting sarcasm and unwavering hope.

The book details how Dr. Bowler - who is living the dream - is suddenly at the age of 35 struck with the crushing news that she has stage four cancer. She then documents what people - Jesus followers and deniers alike - have to say to her in regards to her situation.

It is sobering and horrifying the words people can use. People can say the most damaging things - never realizing the destruction. One of those lines is: “Everything happens for a reason.”

Really?

Is that what we say to the family of a drunk-driving accident? Is there truly a reason for human trafficking? Can we actually explain away suicide? Or, do we simply look into our Ukrainian friend’s eyes and say, “God has a reason for all of this! Glory!”

Mmmm. No.

However, there may be an even more hurtful response. It is when we begin telling people who are struggling through incredible and unimaginable moments in life that “in the end, God wins!” Or, “Well, at least you have heaven to look forward to.” Ugh.

We love skipping past pain; jumping past hurtful situations. 

To quote a rather precocious little red head:

The sun'll come out tomorrow, bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow there'll be sun.

Just thinkin' about tomorrow clears away the cobwebs and the sorrow ‘til there's none.

When I'm stuck a with day that's gray and lonely I just stick out my chin and grin, and say, oh - The sun'll come out tomorrow so you gotta hang on 'til tomorrow, come what may…

Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya tomorrow, You're always a day away.

Dr. Bowler, meeting with her oncologist, was reminded of a truth we must all latch onto. She writes: “We (her and her oncologist) have both, as it turns out, spent a lot of time walking up to the edges of things, and we are talking about what it means to face facts.” Her doctor responds that the “secret” is: “Don’t skip to the end,” (p. 160).

Don’t skip to the end.

We cannot just live our lives based on what may or may not happen in the future. We can only live our lives based on today. The pain of today. The frustration of today. The crying today. The laughter today. The hope for today. The love for today. And, yes, the evil and troubles of today.

“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today,” Matthew 6:34 (NLT). With all that is occurring on this globe - pandemic and invasions included - remember not to skip to the end. Rather, live today. Love today. Hope today. Pray today. Struggle today. Lose today. Win today. 

Perhaps Ira Stanphill understood this truth best. After all, he taught us:

I don't know about tomorrow, I just live from day to day.

I don't borrow from its sunshine, for its skies may turn to gray.

I don't worry o'er the future, for I know what Jesus said,

And today I'll walk beside Him, for He knows what is ahead.

Many things about tomorrow, I don't seem to understand;

But I know who holds tomorrow, and I know who holds my hand.