Who Not How: When The Solution is a Person

We’re all filled with questions right now. Some of them relate to the larger workings of the world. Others are more personal.

We wonder if our jobs will resume normally or resume at all. We worry about how to pay unexpected or even expected bills. We see the conflict in the world and aren’t sure how to solve it.

This can be a recipe for complete and total overwhelm.

I was listening to a podcast episode the other day, the podcast host Nikki Learner was talking to guest Alvin Richardson. They were verbally processing their way through the tragic death of Ahmaud Arbery and the ongoing racial tension in our country. He said something very wise that I felt like had application beyond just the issues they were discussing.

“We have to remember that we have only one enemy, and it’s not people.”

When we recognize Satan for who he is, and see his fingers intertwined with the events of our world, it prevents us from creating unnecessary enemies. Click To Tweet

This doesn’t mean there isn’t a need for justice or accountability. But it does mean that we have to keep things in perspective, a perspective that focuses on the spiritual realm not just the physical one.

But of course the next question is how do I fight my enemy? The answer is not in the how but in the who. I loved the thoughts Kate Motaung shared in her now six year old piece A Screwtape Letter on Racial Diversity.

” Oh, and one more thing: Keep distracting your patient with the pleasures of this life.  Let him continue living for himself, as is quite easy for you to do, given his nature.  As long as his focus is on the here and now, he’ll forget that there is life to come, and won’t care about who else will be there with him. “

This world is not our home!

But we sure do spend a ton of time trying to make it comfy and safe and easy to live in. I know I often spend far more time worrying about what we will eat or what we will wear, than about living out the calling God has given me.

The Enemy wants to keep us blinded to what we could be. To keep us from believing what we could accomplish. At times like this, I find myself praying “Come, Lord Jesus.” My Dad often does that in moments of pain and stress and I’ve always kind of laughed it off . But now it’s becoming a daily prayer. Not because I want to get out of this place, but because I’m trying to refocus on what comes after.

I read a pastor recently who said that eternity will feel so much more real than this life, that our memories of this mere mortal existence will feel like a dream. Dreams and nightmares seem so real at the time but when we wake up, we see the cracks and realize how very limited and flawed they are when reflected on in the morning light.

The solution to the daily battles we face, whatever their type, is in the person of Jesus. He is the how and the who. He has already conquered Satan and death.

Satan has already lost. He just wants to see how many others he can drag down with him. He will use whatever he can of the worst of humanity to divide us and keep us from uniting under the banner of love. He wants people without hope, only filled with anger and hate. Because people who have no hope are easy to manipulate.

But we have a hope! His name is Jesus.

Thanks for tolerating my meanderings today. I ended up going more than five minutes and I probably got my preach on more than I intended. I pray peace and blessing on you.