From Death to LifeÀpẹrẹ

DAY 2: Holy Saturday

Philip Wagnon, Campus Pastor, Elevation Matthews

Transitional moments in life can be difficult to navigate. Times when you have grown to expect a rhythm in life only to have it disrupted by an unexpected change.

The loss of a loved one or an unfavorable medical diagnosis.

Moving to a new city or taking on additional responsibility.

The loss of a job and the struggle to find stability.

When what we grew accustomed to no longer exists, our new reality can start to dictate how we will survive.

This is the moment that the disciples found themselves in. They expected Jesus to restore the kingdom to Israel; they didn't expect it to happen the way it did. The truth is, even Jesus hoped that it could have been accomplished another way. But He submitted to the will of the Father over His desires and went to the cross for all of us. This would leave all who followed Him in a dark and lonely place of transition.

Why did this happen? How did we get here? What will I do now?

In moments where I find myself emotional and asking these questions, God has shown me a better way to move forward, which I hope will help you when you find yourself in any moment of transition.

Remember God’s Faithfulness. A couple of years into marriage, my wife and I found ourselves in financial ruin. We lost the beautiful home that we built and moved into a very small apartment. Our lives changed significantly, and on the outside, we had every reason to be mad, but we chose to be grateful. As we took time to remember God’s faithfulness in our lives rather than focus on our failings, we could see that His hand was guiding us every step of the way.

Rest in His Arms. If you're anything like me, you scramble for control at the first sight of change. If you’ve ever taken an ice bath, one of the first things your body does is pull blood from your extremities into your core. Your body is taking control of the situation to survive. The best thing you can do is relax in the process. Sometimes life can feel like that, making you want to take control instead of trusting God to do His work. He knows our needs. He sees where we’re hurting. Put a pause on the pressure to make decisions or move forward, and choose to rest in His arms.

Respond to the New You. Your life might look different now, but God remains the same. Now go and Do The New You (check out the book by Pastor Steven Furtick). You are called. You are chosen. You are gifted. God created you for this moment and placed everything inside of you to transition well and help multiply His Kingdom. Choose today to get back up and respond to the changes in your life with the strength that He has provided.

Reflection

• Have you gone through a transition when God didn’t come through in the timing or the way you expected? What did you learn?
• Which of the three actions above are easiest and most difficult for you?
• How can you practically put one of them into practice today?