Average Wars

April 29, 2009

Do you sometimes feel as though you are fighting your way through life and losing the battle? There are times in life when day to day living is just day to day combat fighting. There is the battle for good health, for a strong family, for healthy children, for a strong career – or just a job. The battles really are endless. I really like the Message version of James 1:2-4;

“Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. [3] You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. [4] So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way."

Even now as I read this I think, “a sheer gift, RIGHT!!!” When I am in the middle of a battle, it is way too easy for me to do all that I can to get out of it. Staying in the battle so my “true colors” will come through is not typically the plan I have. That is why all battles are really spiritual battles - battles of faith. As Pastor Rusty will tell you in his current sermon series, Average Wars, we all struggle with doubt, sin, and temptation. Yet few of us are superstars. Most of us are average . . . average people facing extraordinary challenges. So I got to ask, how does this average girl win? How does the average anyone win?

Maybe I will pay a bit more attention to those sermons of yours PR…..T