“Once more into the fray, into the last good fight I’ll ever know. Live and die on this day, live and die on this day.” - The Gray (2011)

Once more into the Fray

Monday morning, once again and many of us have just endured the last weekend of the school holiday and as much as we love our children will sigh in relief as they walk out the door to school this morning. But for pretty much all of us, life is a constant struggle.

We all have different issues swirling about in our lives. Some have health issues, medical tests they are facing today, or are enduring illness and/or isolation. Some have work situations, hanging over their heads like a sword of Damocles waiting to fall, others have relationship conflicts, marital misunderstandings or financial problems. You may not know the burden others around you are carrying, but we are usually all carrying something. If you start considering all these things you might say, “Under the circumstances, how could I be anything but depressed?” But here’s the deal – we’re called to live – not under the circumstances, but above the circumstances; we’re called to live above the fray.

Above the conflict, difficulties, hardship and struggles that our world is marked by. How do we live above the fray? As believers in Jesus, it all comes down to trusting in the certainty of the gospel, then on a daily basis, verbally unloading in prayer and leaving the burden at the foot of the cross, determinedly, consciously walking away from the worry and anxiety and deciding, “I’ve given it to Jesus, He can take care of it, It is his battle, and he has more resources that I do, I just have to do as I am told. Look to Him and rejoice.”

Many right now are looking at the pain and suffering in the world and saying, 'How can I believe and trust in a God that would allow that? My answer is that the only solution to that is Jesus, God loves you, so if someone hurts you, how can he not care about what is being done to you? He cares, he is a God of justice and of course He cares, that person who hurt you has to pay for what they did. Forgiveness costs! Its not free, when you forgive someone you are taking all that hurt and pain and absorbing it into yourself and then letting it go, this is NOT an easy thing. If it was easy Jesus would not have had to die on the cross, with the level of brutallity and suffering he endured. Because we all hurt each other, even unintentionally. But like he proved death is NOT the end!

Our New Testament reading today is a description of the trial of Stephen. You may be tempted to think, “Stephen’s life is totally irrelevant to what I’m going through. I mean, this passage talks about accusations of blasphemy, the customs and traditions of Moses, the destruction of the temple – all ideas and concepts that seem completely foreign and out of touch with my life situation.” But Stephen was in a storm of trouble, a life-threatening situation. What I believe you’ll discover is the same way he was able to live above the storm that was swirling about him is the same way you and I can live above the fray. Jesus had given Stephen purpose and meaning and the peace of Christ was with him. The Bible says that Stephen was full of grace and power, a deacon holding a place of responsibility in the new Church. He performed miracles and wonders, he didn’t do that on his own, he did that through the power of Jesus. Stephen knew where he was going and indeed saw heaven before he entered it.

If you are facing a fight today, if you are dealing with a trial or trouble of any kind - take with you the presence and peace of Christ. The best way to endure a storm is with the one you know can calm it or walk with you, guiding you through it.