Friday, July 8, 2016

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.”
                                                                                            
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, and tutoring with the Literacy Council. She is a member of the Peace Team at Oakwood and also co-leads an on-site small group.