REALITY REVEALED – 11/13/2019

REALITY REVEALED
November 13, 2019

Prayer:  Lord, may our response in every earthly trial reveal your heavenly reality in our lives.

Scripture: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade–kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith–of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire–may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
1 Peter 1:3-7 NIV

There are a large number of “reality” television shows being broadcasted. I am not really sure where the real line is drawn between the “reality” and the “show,” but America seems captivated by them. Maybe it is an opportunity to set aside the “reality” of going to a job, paying bills, taking kids to various activities & living up to our usual social, family and career responsibilities. Somehow living in a house and playing games all day & night, surviving on an island while stabbing those around you in the back, or racing around the world without any money has been deemed “reality.”

One of the shows that stunned me the most is where two wives/moms swap homes, husbands and children for a period of time. I cannot say that I have sat and watched many of these shows, but I have caught myself smiling a time or two when the “reality” sets in that the “grass is not always greener.” Both the women and their families seem to come to an appreciation for what they have in their “real” families. Perhaps a fun show would be parent/teacher swap… where parents come and teach your class and teachers go live in their homes for a week… are you imagining this scenario… nah, it would be a disaster!

I know parents that would not last an hour and vice-versa. Our circumstances always seem a little (or a lot) better when we have walked into or through someone else’s reality and realize that “we don’t know, what we don’t know!” I have talked about this before and continue to teach it. Nine times out of ten you do not realize they struggle, or live with someone who struggles, with addiction, anger, abuse, caring for an ailing parent, a diagnosis, a job loss, depression, unfaithfulness in a relationship, and so on. There is nothing funny or entertaining about that.

But here is the good news! Our earthly circumstances are only a short-term condition. Our reality is our heavenly position! God has already given us a new life and a living hope. We have an inheritance of unimaginable worth stored up for us that will never perish, spoil of fade. We have a perfect Savior who loves us and will never leave or forsake us! Our eternity will know no pain, loss or death. As a disciple of Jesus, that is your reality!

Every reality show involves “tests” of some kind, competitions, extreme conditions, hazards, bad weather, hunger, offensive or hurtful behavior from those around them, etc.… Unfortunately, their responses to these tests are usually less than honorable. It is usually “justified” as necessary to win the game.  How do we, as Christians respond to our tests? Peter is telling Christ-followers that we will suffer trials and afflictions of all kinds. Is it important that we react differently than those on the reality shows? Do we react differently? Do we realize that there is a world of unbelievers out there “watching” us to see if we respond through the reality of our heavenly position or crumble under the pressure of our earthly condition?

My prayer for you is that your response in every earthly trial would reveal your heavenly reality.

Copyright Kathy Branzell. Email [email protected]