If this blog were a facebook status…
…it would say, “Kate McKenzie Kovach is so full of love!” I seriously have an incredible amount of love for people. You know why? Because my heart has been filled to the brim with it! The love of Christ brings a joy that will never be depleted or diminished… but that doesn’t mean that my life will always be happy-go-lucky. In fact, as a follower of Christ, I am to expect trials and tribulations; it’s part of living in a world where hatred and suffering seem to abound. That’s what is so amazing about this message of grace which has been gifted to me; it is not necessary for your life to be happy, perfectly tidy, and gleaming. A lot of people think that Christ is only for the perfect people, but it’s actually in our weakness and our mess that He is most glorified.
How would I be able to tell an orphan whose father was trying to sell him that your life will be without hardship with Jesus?
How could I convince a woman (who was once a nurse) that turned to prostitution to feed her three children after her husband was murdered that life after accepting Christ is a bed of roses?
How can I instruct children covered head to toe with filth from living at the dump that they have to polish up their act, go to church four times a week, and look like they are spotless if they want to meet this Jesus?
(Photo by National Geographic)
You see, that’s the beauty of Christ. He loves us just as much when we’re filthy, tearful, and messy. He hung out with the liars, thieves, prostitutes, aching, tired, lonely, suffering, and sick. And just because they followed Him, it didn’t mean their outside circumstances changed. In fact, most of the early believers were tortured and martyred for their faith. What changed is they were given hope through the ultimate love sacrifice of Jesus Christ. These fortunate believers who went through numerous trials and every pain were only strengthened through their suffering. Through it all, men like Stephen clung tightly to the promise given to then; a promise of hope, faith, and love, but most importantly, love.
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Romans 5: 1-5
