Wind, Rain, and Standing Through Pain
Call me crazy, but I love taking trips to St. Louis.
Something about that city is just so impressive to me. Maybe it’s in the grand Arch that you can’t help but stare at as you make your way through the city… unless you are the driver of course! It might even be the great restaurants and tons of amazing food options you can find there.
But as I think about it, for me, it is the wonder that I feel as I walk past the great historic buildings.
Not only are the details amazing, but the sheer understanding that even though some buildings were built in the 1800’s they are still standing tall today. (I honestly have no idea how they built those buildings without power tools. I know how frustrated I get when my battery dies on my drill while I’m hanging a shelf!)
Anyway, one of those buildings is called the Bissell Mansion. This mansion that overlooks the Mississippi River was built in the 1820’s. The building has been through so much! It has seen storms, floods, tornados, literally 200 cold, miserable winters and the same about of hot, sweaty summers. Yet, through all of that, it still stands strong. You probably know exactly where I am going with this, but I’m going to say it anyways.
No matter the situation, it stood strong and immovable.
As we looked in the mirror this morning, many of us may have had similar thoughts. Something like this, “Boy, I don’t know how I am going to make it through the day!” or “I just have to make it to 5pm.” The world is a mess, and we seem to be caught in it. Things seem completely out of control. Anxiety is at an all time high and we have no idea when the fears will even begin to subside.
But, through all of the storms raging around us, God calls us to be strong and immovable in our faith.
The reason I love the illustration about this old building is because even though the building is still standing today, it is by no striving from the building itself. The reason the Bissell Mansion is still standing is because of the people who built it. They had enough knowledge to build a building that would withstand many hardships.
This is no different in our lives.
If it solely rests on my shoulders to be strong and immovable in my faith, then I might as well have already called it quits.
I don’t have the capacity to withstand pain, anxieties, and fears on my own. If you are a human like me, you probably agree.
Knowing this fact about all of humanity, Paul says this in 1 Corinthians 15:57-58:
But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.
This is the only way we can be strong and immovable.
Understanding that while our pain, fears, and anxieties are real, Jesus has already won the battle for us. When we have this understanding, life might not get easier, but we will be able to withstand because our creator has created us to be strong and immovable.