A Kick in the Pants

Read: 1 Corinthians 15

"Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain." 1 Corinthians 15:1-2

Examine:

Time and pressure have a way of eating away at the hope of Christian faith. Trials of life, the pain in the world, and tormenting questions can test even the strongest people of faith. This was the case in the church of Corinth and many found themselves having lost their hope. Paul writes this section of his letter to remind them of the basics of their faith, encourage them to get a grip, and implore them to stand their ground.

Apply:

Losing my way is almost guaranteed. As long as I continue my life in this world I will be constantly tempted to doubt my faith, question God's will, and succumb to temptation. Dark days will find me. Paul offers three things that I need to remember when I find myself stuck in a pit and struggling to find hope.

First, believe that my faith is real. The heart of all depression and anxiety starts with a little seed of doubt that maybe all the things I have believed about Christ and faith is junk. I start to fear that all this Christian stuff is some great deception I have fallen victim to and in the end it is of no real value. Once this seed is planted, life for a Christian quickly unravels. The first rule of getting out of a pit is to return to the basics of my salvation and allow God to assure me of my hope.

Second, get back in my right mind. Losing hope has a way of creating desperation for relief. Desperation for relief is a great breeding ground for stupid choices. Stupid choices are always accompanied by ignorant people willing to affirm my stupid decisions. Getting back in my right mind will always necessitate dealing with bad thought patterns and stepping away from people who are feeding me with bad advice.

Finally, get back in the fight. Everything that satan throws at me is always designed to get me out of the fight. In the final verse of this chapter I can hear Paul screaming to me, "Stand your ground and don't hold back. Throw yourself into the work of the Master. Be absolutely confident that nothing you do for Him is a waste of time or effort."

Pray:

Ok, so I have been a little less than joyful the last few days. For the past several weeks You have been pressing me to take bolder stances on Your word, to pray bigger prayers, and to ask people to make bigger commitments. As that has happened and I have responded in obedience to Your requests, satan has thrown everything he has at me. He knows my weaknesses and he has hit them with painful precision. I have obviously tried to stand on my own because I have fallen down and found myself struggling with despair. Isolation, loneliness and frustration have chased me down and gotten the best of me. Thank You for the kick in the pants this morning; I needed it.