If you’ve ever been in sales for longer than a week, then you’ve probably realize it takes a lot of falls before you gain any height in the wild world of business. Failure is part of success. That’s true in business, and really, that’s true in our walk with God.
The gospels are filled with people that experienced all kinds of failures, set-backs, disappointments, and fears. That’s where Jesus comes in; He begins His ministry by healing people of their diseases (aka problems). From evil spirits (Mark 1:21-28), to sickness (1:29-31) and leprosy (1:40) and paralysis (2:1-5) Jesus began making a positive difference in the lives of hundreds of people.
The goal was not necessarily to eradicate sickness from earth, but rather highlight how the Son of God has the power to confront any problem—even death. Hebrews 2:14-15, “Since the children have flesh and blood, He [Jesus] too shared in their humanity so that by His death He might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.”
Turning chaos into something good is what God specializes in. Just think about the opening lines of Genesis, “...the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.” Formless and void refers to a state of chaos, disorder. Therefore, God brings order to what has been chaos. 1 Corinthians 14:33, “For God is not a God of disorder (chaos) but of peace…”
His blessings of life bring a “peace that passes all understanding” (Philippians 4:7) Or as Psalms 104:27-28, “All creatures look to You to give them their food at the proper time. When You give it to them, they gather it up; when You open your hand, they are satisfied with good things.” Jesus is the author of life, the bread of life, the living water. In Him, there is life; outside of Him, there is only death, chaos, and hopelessness.
The Gospel only brings life and peace to those who will surrender their own will and submit to the will of God. His perfect and pleasing will offers the blessings we’re looking for. Our problems and failures come in different shapes and sizes, but in the end they all lead to our own demise without Christ. The good news is that everyone with a heartbeat can experience God’s blessings if they’ll trust in the Son of God. Trusting in Him is more than acknowledging His existence, but submitting to His way of doing things, realizing you need to repent of those “diseases” of life, then confess to yourself and to others that He is the only “way, the truth, and the life, and that no one comes to the Father except through Him." Baptism marks the birth of a new person with new motivations and behaviors.
Do you trust in God enough to obey the Gospel?
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