More than I can handle?
The Rev. Mark Eichler
Friday, May 25, 2007
Ever feel like your life is nothing but a bad dream? Ever feel like everything is out of control? Ever feel like you are trapped in some strange world where bizarre and unexpected events come rushing at you and you have no power to stop them?
I would think that the people of Greensburg feel this way. I would think that the people of New Orleans still feel this way. I know that children especially seem most susceptible to nightmares. What parent hasn’t been awakened by a frightened child in the middle of the night only to hear, “Mom, I had a bad dream. Can I sleep with you?” But how often do you feel like you are not only having a bad dream, but your entire life is one?
Young and old, we all need to feel secure. As a child who had a bad dream, you could snuggle in bed between mom and dad and feel safe. You could feel like life was under control once again. But as an adult, how do you find that feeling of security? As an adult, where do you find the assurance that life is under control once more?
Once in a while, when things are going bad for you, you might hear someone say, “Don’t worry. God won’t give you more than you can handle.” Well, even though that’s a nice thought, that thought is not in the Bible. The Bible talks of how God won’t let you be tempted beyond what you can bear and when you are tempted to sin, God will provide a way out.
But when it comes to problems in life, sometimes God does allow it to become so bad, that we feel like we can’t handle it all on our own. But that does not mean that God is out to get us. That does not mean that God forgets about us or no longer loves us. God knows how to rescue us from our trials and He wants to rescue us from our trials. Sending His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to suffer and die on the cross to pay for our sins and then rise from the dead to assure us that the victory has been won for us is proof that He loves us and wants to rescue us. But so often, it is only when we feel like we can’t handle it on our own that we will ask for help. So often, it is only when our life seems out of control that we will turn to God for Him to rescue us. It seems like when the problems are small, we think we can handle them on our own. It’s when the problems are beyond us, that we turn to God for help.
In reality, without Jesus, everything can seem scary. But with Jesus, we know that everything is going to be okay. With Jesus we know that even when things don’t seem okay, they really are. As Jesus has told us, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” May we all find comfort and hope and answers to our bad dreams in Jesus.
• “Sunday Sermon” is a forum for Emporia area ministers to share their sermons, thoughts and observations. This week’s sermon is from the Rev. Mark Eichler, pastor of Faith Lutheran Church.