What do we need to hear when we're having a rough day? Rough week? Rough year? Rough life?
When waiting and hoping for a good report?
When there isn't a good report?
When there don't seem to be any answers to our struggle?
What do we need to hear when our days all run together - when it's hard to get out of bed?
When getting out of bed is the hardest thing you do?
What do we need to hear when we lock ourselves in bathrooms to have just one minute away from the noise that surrounds us - when it feels like we're standing in the middle of a spinning colosseum of roaring lions?
When a child's crying, whining, and arguing turns into a new battle every moment for an all-day affair, after a night of only 4 hours of sleep, and feels like an all-out assault- and you're fighting on fumes- Running on empty?
What do we need to hear when addictions won't cease?
When those we love are hurting themselves or others?
When life we felt inside of us dies?
What do we need to hear when no matter how hard we try, we just can't do this, do that, shake that thought, let go of this hurt, and move on?
What do we need to hear?
Do we need to hear sympathy? Do we need to hear empathy? Do we need someone to defend our case? Do we need to hear "don't worry"? Do we need to hear "breathe in and count to 10"? Do we need to hear "work harder"? Or "just forget about it", or even...
...those "godly" sayings like "God's in control", "God loves you", and "this too shall pass"?
What do we need to hear?
We need to hear the Gospel.
Good News.
When we suffer, we need to know that Jesus suffered for us. That He suffered most of all.
When we're lonely, we need to hear that Jesus was abandoned by all of his friends, and was separated from the Father while bearing our sins on the cross.
When we're anxious, we need to hear that yes, God is in control, but we know that He is because Jesus rose again. When everything seemed hopeless and hopelessly out of control- when Jesus was in the grave- God was still in control.
We need to know that being anxious is our way of wanting to be in control, but feeling out of control, because we're failing at that whole being in control thing.
And because we know and believe that He is in control, we don't have to be.
And breathe a sigh of relief.
When we feel inadequate- that we don't measure up, we need to hear that Christ was perfect for us. We don't have to be. We can stop working so hard to be perfect, and rest in His finished work on the cross. It was enough. once and for all.
We need to hear that God is good. That he has our best in mind. That we know this because He willingly bore the cross and the weight of our sin on our behalf.
We need to hear that putting our hope, our fear, our trust, or our worth in anything else but Jesus will fail us. Will leave us empty. Will leave us asking or begging or longing or working way too hard for something to satisfy us that never will.
We need to hear the Gospel.
Weather we believe the Gospel is absolutely true, or struggle to believe it, or down-right don't believe it to be True - we need to hear it. Because none of us believe it all the time. Because what we do shows us what we believe. Out of the heart, the mouth speaks. Out of the heart, the mind thinks. Out of the heart, the hands do.
We need to be reminded of who we are. Of Who's we are. To be reminded of Who God is. What He's done. What He is doing. How we fit into the beautiful love story that He is writing, and we get to be a part of.
We need to be reminded that the Gospel isn't just about a time in the past, or a time in the future, but that the Gospel is the answer to any and every situation, hardship, temptation, and tragedy in this life.
Right now. Right here.
Me.
You.
Speaking the Gospel into our lives and the lives of those around us is a much-needed breath of fresh air.
It gets to the heart. It cuts deep.
It brings to light those areas of unbelief.
It speaks truth and sheds light in the very place we need it most.
I'm learning. I'm wrestling.
And my eyes are being opened.
The way I talk to myself. The way I talk to others. The way I discipline my children.
I'm changing.
Because the Gospel is penetrating my heart, deeper than it ever has before.
Because it really is Good News.
And I can rest.
