1-6-14 The Greatest Generation
1 Peter 1:13
[ A Call to Holy Living ] So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world.
Yesterday at church, Rob was talking about how Jesus didn’t come to spare us from our troubles but to provide a way out. He came to spare us from our sins which is the ultimate cure for ANY trouble if you think about it.
Yet sometimes Believers still wonder why God doesn’t just spare us from everything bad or inconvenient that could ever happen to us? Well, if that was the best thing, God would do it; he would whisk us away the moment we believe and receive the gift of salvation. But he doesn’t so that must not be the best thing after all.
Instead he calls us to Holy Living - to live like Jesus regardless of our circumstances, thinking clearly, exercising self-control, and looking forward to his return. This must be the best thing for us.
Our own recent American history illustrates that a life free of struggle is not what we need. Look at the WWII generation, aka: The Greatest Generation. Whether one fought overseas or not there was struggle, there was loss, and people had to go without convenience. After The War these same group of citizens and veterans built up the greatest nation. Americans enjoyed prosperity post war and did not want their children to grow up with struggle - any struggles. And that generation, The Greatest Generation, was followed by the Me Generation, the hippies, the protesters, the ungrateful, the ones who used their parents’ sacrifices for all of our freedom so they could get high and sleep around. Seems like giving a generation a life free from struggle doesn’t produce a people who think clearly, exercise self-control, or look forward to anything, so God certainly wouldn’t parent us that way.
Look at The Greatest Generation going backwards on a timeline. Their parents were products of The Great Depression. In that era few parents couldn’t give their children a life free of struggle even if they wanted to. But growing up with parents who couldn’t exempt their children from struggle but provided a way through it for them resulted in those kids growing up to be The Greatest Generation.
Guess what God does? He provides the way through all the time every day for those who love and trust him!
The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. (1 Corinthians 10:13)
Dear God,
You know what you are doing; I don’t need to tell you how to do your job and complain about things that cause struggles. You have made yourself available and reliable helping us to think clearly and exercise self-control so we will not be overcome by any temptation or trouble. Thank you so much for how you parent, how you teach, how you care, and how you provide a way through ANY storm. I love you and pray in your Son’s name. Amen.
1 Peter 1:13
[ A Call to Holy Living ] So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world.
Yesterday at church, Rob was talking about how Jesus didn’t come to spare us from our troubles but to provide a way out. He came to spare us from our sins which is the ultimate cure for ANY trouble if you think about it.
Yet sometimes Believers still wonder why God doesn’t just spare us from everything bad or inconvenient that could ever happen to us? Well, if that was the best thing, God would do it; he would whisk us away the moment we believe and receive the gift of salvation. But he doesn’t so that must not be the best thing after all.
Instead he calls us to Holy Living - to live like Jesus regardless of our circumstances, thinking clearly, exercising self-control, and looking forward to his return. This must be the best thing for us.
Our own recent American history illustrates that a life free of struggle is not what we need. Look at the WWII generation, aka: The Greatest Generation. Whether one fought overseas or not there was struggle, there was loss, and people had to go without convenience. After The War these same group of citizens and veterans built up the greatest nation. Americans enjoyed prosperity post war and did not want their children to grow up with struggle - any struggles. And that generation, The Greatest Generation, was followed by the Me Generation, the hippies, the protesters, the ungrateful, the ones who used their parents’ sacrifices for all of our freedom so they could get high and sleep around. Seems like giving a generation a life free from struggle doesn’t produce a people who think clearly, exercise self-control, or look forward to anything, so God certainly wouldn’t parent us that way.
Look at The Greatest Generation going backwards on a timeline. Their parents were products of The Great Depression. In that era few parents couldn’t give their children a life free of struggle even if they wanted to. But growing up with parents who couldn’t exempt their children from struggle but provided a way through it for them resulted in those kids growing up to be The Greatest Generation.
Guess what God does? He provides the way through all the time every day for those who love and trust him!
The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. (1 Corinthians 10:13)
Dear God,
You know what you are doing; I don’t need to tell you how to do your job and complain about things that cause struggles. You have made yourself available and reliable helping us to think clearly and exercise self-control so we will not be overcome by any temptation or trouble. Thank you so much for how you parent, how you teach, how you care, and how you provide a way through ANY storm. I love you and pray in your Son’s name. Amen.
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