Life is hard. I could say that life is challenging, but setting all euphemisms aside, we can agree that life can be brutal, exhausting, cruel, and ruthless. Yet, life can be pretty awesome too. It’s a matter of perspective. How do we view life? What lens are we using? It’s easier to say that life is “challenging” if we don’t let it beat us down. After all, when something is a challenge, it means there’s a victory to be had. 

Therefore, we can view life as challenging without setting aside the other aspects of it, like cruelty, unfairness, and ruthlessness. Let us consider how to view our lives. I see two possible views. God’s and our’s.

God created everything and knows everything, and we know very little. In fact, we know so little compared to what we don’t know. We know nothing. Yet, with all of the things we don’t know, if we know God, we know enough. Not only do we know, we know as much as we need to know. 

Christians are supposed to know God. However, none of us really know Him. As Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians.

For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.

1 Corinthians 13:9-10 (NIV)

Therefore, it’s better to say we’re getting to know God. 

As we get to know God, the most important thing to do is trust God. Yes, we’re to love God, but we also must trust him. 

Whether we realize it or not, each of us has people who depend on us. We know some of these people, but there are others we don’t know. Others who we still need to meet. 

What I mean is this, in Ephesians 2:10, Paul gives us this intelligence.

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (emphasis added).

Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)

While people rely upon us today, others depend upon us in the future. These people are part of the “good works” God prepared us to do. Now, what would happen if we gave up along the way? If we abandon the mission, God has given us? 

This brings me of an incident in Acts 27.

In Act 27, Paul is on the way to Rome. However, his ship ran into a terrible storm called the Northeaster. After days in the storm, Paul gets a message from the Lord that everyone on board the vessel will live, but the ship will be destroyed. Paul relays this message to the crew. After Paul relayed the message to other men on board, the real test began. 

On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic c Sea, when about midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land. They took soundings and found that the water was a hundred and twenty feet d deep. A short time later they took soundings again and found it was ninety feet e deep. Fearing that we would be dashed against the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight. In an attempt to escape from the ship, the sailors let the lifeboat down into the sea, pretending they were going to lower some anchors from the bow (emphasis added).

Acts 27:27-30 (NIV)

The sailors were the only ones skilled enough to handle the ship. If they abandoned their posts, everyone on board would die. Paul had already told them they would live, that the boat would be destroyed in Acts 27:22-26, but they still tried to flee. They would have abandoned their posts and doomed everyone, themselves included, to death. Yet, Paul was aware and warned the centurion who stopped the sailors from leaving.

“Then Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved.”

Acts 27:31 (NIV)

After the rough night where it looked like the ship would be dashed upon the rocks, we see a change in the morning.

When daylight came, they did not recognize the land, but they saw a bay with a sandy beach, where they decided to run the ship aground if they could (emphasis added).

Acts 27:39 (NIV)

“When daylight came,” the ship had not crashed upon the rocks. Instead, they had survived the worst of that night’s storm and could guide the boat toward the land where it ran aground. Thus, the ship was destroyed, but everyone landed safely.

Often, the storms in our lives are so terrifying that we want to escape by any means possible. However, if the Lord said he would get us through the storms, then he will get us through them no matter how bad they look. Even if it seems we will be dashed upon the rocks, we will make it through. We cannot abandon our posts. We may not realize it, but people depend on us. We know when we weather the storm, there will be a time when daylight comes. And when the dawn comes, will we be found to have been faithful?

Do you know God? God knows you, and he loves you. He sees you as significant because you are. No one is insignificant to Him. He’s with you today, and he wants you to know him. Jesus died for your sins and mine so we could be free of guilt, freed from death, and live eternally with him. Eternal salvation is just a prayer away.

Pray this prayer with me to accept the gift of salvation:

Lord Jesus, forgive me for all my sins. I repent from my ways. Wash me in your blood and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. I believe you died on the cross and were buried, and God the Father raised you from the dead on the third day. Right now, Lord Jesus, I open the door to my heart and receive you into my heart as my Lord and personal Savior. Amen.

If you prayed that prayer, then congratulations! You are on the first step of a brand new life. Allow me to be the first to welcome you to my family, the family of God. There are abundant resources available online for new Christians. You can visit here for more information on what to do next. You can also leave me a comment, and I’ll do my best to help you on the next step of this incredible journey.