Light of the WorldNäide

There are passages in the Bible, like today’s, that can be challenging and confusing to understand. The celebration of the birth of Christ is followed just a few verses later by an act of nearly unimaginable cruelty.

Often the expectation that we place on a life of following God is that all of the hard stuff vanishes. We assume that from the moment we are saved, now everything will be easy. The truth, though, is that the fallen world we live in can be a very dark place, and the Bible gives no indication that a life submitted to God is going to be an easy one.

God doesn’t shy away from the pain and the dark parts of this world. He embraces them. And he embraces them in you, too. He wants all of you, not just the parts that are polished and pretty. He wants the mess and the pain and the struggles and confusion and the grief, along with all of the good things. He knows the complete picture of your life already, and He wants you to be honest and vulnerable with Him in all that you feel.

Question:
Have you ever felt the need to “perform” for God in prayer by only bringing the good things to Him?

Application:
The holidays can be a very joyful time, but they can also be a time when the hard things in our lives are brought to the surface. Lament is when we take our pain, struggles, and grief to God in an honest way. If you have a struggle that you haven’t been honest with God about, lament that to Him in prayer today.