What’s
Your “Neither?”
By Susan Klein
“For I am convinced
that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor
the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all
creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ
Jesus our Lord.”
Romans
8:38-39 (NIV)
I
wonder if you’re like me. I have days where I feel completely run over by my
circumstances. Sometimes, they hit me so hard and catch me so off guard, I feel
like a helpless hit-and-run victim. Like today, it’s a bit hard for me to focus
on the gorgeous, hot and sunny weather when my furnace just very suddenly died.
And my husband’s car is about to die. And our family pet of 17 years just
recently died. Man, life’s casualties can be real joy-robbers!
Perhaps
that’s why we are told not to fix our eyes on our circumstances. Oh, that
doesn’t mean we don’t think about them or deal with them or even grieve over
them, we just don’t make them our primary focus. After all, everything here on
earth is temporal. Our possessions and circumstances bring us momentary
troubles or fleeting happiness, not true joy. Our real treasure to focus on is
the immensely incomprehensible love our Father has lavished on us through His
Son, enabling us to be called His children. And that is eternal! Neither awful
situations nor difficult people can negate the Father’s love for us. Neither
the evil one nor his fiery darts of temptation can stop or weaken God’s love.
Neither the world’s hardships nor man’s criticisms can deem us less loved and
valued by our Creator. Neither separation nor death of a loved one can
extinguish the flaming love God desires to pour out upon His children.
Rudyard
Kipling’s poem, “If,” starts out: “If you can keep your head when all about you
are losing theirs…” It lists many other “ifs,” and then finishes by stating the
world and everything in it will be yours. Similarly, if we can keep our focus
on the Father’s love rather than on our momentary hardships, then we will be
blessed with peace, and strength, and hope, and every good gift He desires for
us to possess. All the trials and difficulties of life will eventually fade
away, but God’s love will remain forever.
So,
what circumstances might be running you over, keeping you from focusing on His
love? What’s your “neither”?
GOING
DEEPER:
1.
Consider memorizing Romans
8:38-39.
2.
Meditate on the immensity of God’s love for you.
FURTHER
READING:
Susan is married to
Mark, and has two adult children. She enjoys teaching Bible studies, writing,
tutoring with the Literacy Council and working with Oakwood’s peacemaking
ministry.
