It Still Matters

I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds. —Psalm 77:11-12 ESV

Hi friends, it’s been a minute since my last blog. If I’m being honest, I was surprised by how long it’s been since I posted my last blog. I’m pretty sure I heard the internet powers that be scream collectively as I typed that. “They” have all sorts of guidelines for how often one should blog and how long it should be for one to “stay relevant.” I can say that I’m apparently still relevant enough to get scam emails through my website though! But back to the gap in blogs, it’s not just that time is flying by, and it feels like it should still be January on the calendar; it’s also the result of living in a world where it seems there is pressure for everyone to have an opinion on everything and that those opinions need to be shared constantly and loudly. I find myself retreating more and more from the barrage of headlines and posts to reflect on what God is teaching me and speaking into each situation. I never want to add to the noise. I want to be driven by the Spirit to post when it’s the right time, not by the algorithm or SEO experts. Sometimes I put blogs on hold because it just doesn’t feel like it’s what God is asking me to say at the moment.

All of this long intro to say, I’ve been pondering something in my heart this Eastertide. On the liturgical calendar, Easter is a season—the weeks between Easter Sunday and Pentecost—and today is the last day of that season. Whether we do liturgical things or not, it’s important to remember that what happened on Easter should not and cannot be contained to just one day. Eastertide is a time to reflect on the magnitude of the miracle of the Resurrection and our salvation. I think of what Jesus’ disciples would have been doing in the days after they found out that Jesus was raised from the dead, just as He said. I can assure you they were NOT thinking or saying things like ‘well, we got that big, exhausting day out of the way; let’s take a nap then move on to regular stuff.’ It would have taken days, weeks, months, the rest of their lives to process the magnitude of the Resurrection. I wonder how our lives would be different if we experienced it in real time like they did.

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. This inheritance is 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. —1 Peter 1:3-5 NIV

This Eastertide, I can’t stop thinking about the phrase “It still matters.” The Spirit has whispered it time after time as I have seen or heard stories of hurt, grief, harrowing events, and broken relationships during this season. What Jesus did for us on the cross still matters and still changes things even today, thousands of years later. It is not a warm and fuzzy story (although it sure does warm my heart), it is a true event demonstrating God’s power and love for all of us. It does not change based on feelings, or the latest headline, or the latest trend in church culture. The Resurrection of Jesus is still a huge deal! It’s a living hope, not a hope that is just a distant memory that we recognize once a year, but one that is alive and active! The Resurrection still carries just as much power today, but we must recognize it and allow it to overflow in our lives. The fact that the tomb was empty is as unchanging as the Lord Himself, and we must not live our lives as though it is anything less than astounding.

And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. —Hebrews 12:1b-3 NIV 

Not too long before the crucifixion, Jesus told His disciples that they would have trouble in this world. It takes no effort at all to see that this is true for us as it was for the disciples. But Jesus’ assurance of peace to them is available to us as well: “But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

It takes a lot of intentional perseverance to run this race, but we have the tools to do so. We have the power of the resurrection living in us (Romans 8:11) along with this living hope. It cannot be taken away from us. Death has been defeated. The King is alive. It still matters. We must remember that and remind others of this when discouragement creeps in. The enemy would love nothing more than to convince us to give up when we see what’s going on in the world around us, or in the church around us, or maybe even in our homes. But you can remind him, he lost, and he doesn’t get the final say.

But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. —John 14:26 NLT

Tomorrow is Pentecost, the day when we remember and celebrate when the Holy Spirit was poured out on all God’s people. The Spirit guides us and reminds us of truths we might forget when we get discouraged. The Spirit even intercedes for us when we don’t know what to pray (Romans 8:26), so if your discouragement leaves you at a loss for words, take comfort in the Spirit’s intercession. It’s almost as if God thought of everything…

Friends, I hope my ramblings encourage you today. I hope you will feel empowered to carry the magnitude of Easter with you every day. It doesn’t make every situation easy, but it does allow us the sit in the grief of “Saturday” knowing that all will be made right someday. God allowed the worst to give us the best. And it still matters.

Amen.