Life Lesson III - A Perfect World

I used to hold to this idyllic ideal that one day everything would be fine. My life would be pleasantly predictable. There would be no issues with relationships, no financial pressures and no worries about the future. Then, because everything was fine, I could live in my dream house living my dream life doing all of those things I dreamed about doing. Because everything was fine, I would begin doing all of those things I knew I should do. I would invest more of my time in my relationships. I would write more faithfully. I would be a better steward of what the Father had given me. I would pray more. Because all of the stresses and struggles had passed, now that everything was going well, I knew I would begin living the life I always wanted to live.

Everything is never going to be fine. No matter how much I put off, the days of no concern will never arrive. Jesus says in John 16:33, “In this world you will have trouble.” It may be relational trouble, it may be financial challenges, it may be health issues, it may be emotional trials or any other of a hundred things. In this world, everything is never going to be fine. There will always be some challenge or dilemma.

So, I am learning that I should live the life I am called to live now. There may not be another chance. If my heart attack had been fatal, there is so much I would have never done because I was waiting for another day. There will never come a time when everything is going my way. But, there will never come a time when the Father is not walking with me. Regardless of my present circumstances, the time to pray more is now. The time to invest in my relationships is today. The moment to give more is this moment.

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33

My third lesson: There will never be an ideal time to do what is right. I must live obediently regardless of my circumstances.