Truth in Each Circumstance

"Jesus, truth in each circumstance" This phrase hit me like a steak on a black eye tonight. Yes, a steak. A weird comparison, sure, but it's true! Hear me out. Sometimes we have ideas in our heads of how things should be in life. Sometimes we guard ourselves to the point that we don't even take the chance (or risk) to allow something to happen, even if that something is good. In my life I've come to realize that it's not that I want to hide from people or be emotionally elusive so no one can truly know me but in a way it's like a protection device, doing myself the service of keeping my heart from being hurt. That's where the black eye comes in! The things in life which we may try to protect ourselves from may end up kicking us in the face later, and by this I mean that in trying to keep something from happening we actually end up hurting ourselves anyway by means of regret, disappointment (ironic, huh, that you would become disappointed from trying to protect yourself from disappointment), even guilt. It's like a black eye in our spirit. Our spiritual eyes help us see where God is taking us, the doors He is opening and closing, and the long-term promises He has for our lives. But when we have a spiritual black eye, all swollen and shut, how can we see?

Now I have to say, I love steak. Steak is a wonderful thing! There aren't many ways you can ruin a steak unless you over or under cook it, or over/under season the meat. But when the steak is raw what do people do with it? Slap it on the big black eye! Ever seen that in real life or a movie? They do that because the meat is cold and helps keep the swelling down. It doesn't heal the black eye or make it go away but it helps.

So I know my black eye. I was talking about it in the beginning. Over protecting ourselves is like saying to God, "I don't think you can help me". That's like a slap in Jesus' face! But tonight as we sang in church I heard, "Jesus, truth in each circumstance", and it occurred to me again that no matter what the circumstances are in life Jesus is always the truth and by looking at my Jesus, and not at myself, through open and unwounded spiritual eyes I will see clearly where He's taking me....and in that place there is no room for fear of the future. Why? Because Jesus loves me. And perfect love drives out fear. (I John 4:18). No matter what you face or what you're worried about in your life there are always risks involved but if you never take any risks you'll never find what God has for you. Jesus took risks. He took risks by speaking, healing, and by saying He was God. But that didn't stop him because he knew God was in charge, that there was an ultimate plan, and no matter what pain he faced there was an eternal purpose for it.

So even though singing those words didn't change any circumstances in my life, nor did it take away any of those things which make me guarded, but it does effect me in a long-term way. Just like the steak doesn't heal or take away the black eye, it does effect how long the eye is bruised. It does effect the long-term! And so does trusting Jesus all the time, the truth in every circumstance, in doing so you will change how your spiritual eye will look in the future.