Articles
We Get To Choose
As of August 26th, there are 127 days remaining in 2020. How we choose to use them is up to us, but it matters. We can live them with gloom and doom, or we can invest them in faith, hope, and love. Why would we choose anything other than faith, hope, and love?
Assuming we all make it to December 31st, all of us have the same number of days left in 2020. So, why would we want to spend them in gloom and doom? The Bible story is not about gloom and doom. Is there gloom and doom in the book? Yes, for sure. But only for those who want it.
Think of Job; he had gloom and doom. Boy, did he ever! Yet he did not curse God. He never cries, “God why did you do this to me?” He does not understand it all, but he never quits living. It would have been so easy to blame God and quit. Who could have blamed him? But he remained blameless.
Now, if we want a gloom and doom story from the Bible, look at the children of Israel. Their life was “doom, despair, and agony” for forty years. When they begin their journey out of Egypt, they are eight days from the Promised Land. Yet it takes them forty years to get there. Then only two of the original refugees are allowed to enter the land. Gloom and despair define the children of Israel. Even with God providing them food and water and clothes that never wear out, all they do is gripe, complain, and whine. They wallowed in gloom and despair. It did not have to be that way.
On the other hand, look at the life of Paul. He will talk about all the bad things that happened to him (2 Cor. 11). He had every reason to live in gloom and doom. Even from prison, he seeks to build people up. He will say, “It has happened for the furtherance of the gospel” (Phil. 1:12). He was mistreated by his own countrymen, yet his heart’s desire is for Israel to be saved (Rom. 10:1). Paul was moved by the thought that his Jewish brethren would be lost. And yet, all he had at his disposal he counted of no value (Phil. 3:7). Paul had what was really important. He had forgiveness and he had a relationship with Christ.
Honestly, we have no reason to live in gloom and doom. Truthfully, these days are not the most horrendous days man has ever endured. Yes, they are our days, but there have been days and time periods much worse than what is going on in our world today. I am reminded of what is said to the Hebrews: “For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your soul” (Hebrews 12:3).
Therefore, how will we use our remaining 127 days of 2020? We get to choose. Will we choose that the best is yet to come?
Rickie Jenkins
