What I Know For Sure

There are times in life when I am tempted, not to perform some act of sin, but to try to rearrange my circumstances in order to avoid the unpleasantness of life. I am tempted to think of myself as a favorite child who should be able to escape heartache, pain, illness, suffering, financial disaster, and all other forms of human discomfort. I want too wake up each morning with the assurance that I am cloaked with some sort of supernatural protection that insures safe keeping and success in every avenue of life for yet another twenty-four hours, only to be followed by another such day until I finally escape the bonds of human existence and go on to heaven.

After all, I am a Child of God! I have been adopted into the family with all the rights and privileges of that position! I want to shout to the enemy of my soul, who continues to dash my hopes for the life free of trouble and trial, "Hey! Do you have any idea who you're messing with here? God, Creator of the Universe, is my Father, and Jesus Christ is my elder Brother! And they are not going to like what you're doing to me one little bit!

Then I hear the voice of my Father gently reminding me to look to the example of my elder brother, Jesus, who thought it not robbery to give up His Glory, His equality with the Father, and become nothing for my sake. He had the power to call legions of angels to minister to His every need while in the midst of temptation in the wilderness but chose not to avail Himself of that power. Instead He showed me I can survive any temptation because of what I know to be true about WHO I am, WHERE I came from, and WHERE I'm going. I know I am a Child of God! That alone defines who I am. Just like Jesus, I know I come from the Father. Whether anyone else accepts that as truth or not, the truth remains the same. He has given me LIFE and in Him I breathe and move and have my being! And, I know, whatever life deals me in the way of trouble and suffering, I have the glorious hope of an eternity free from suffering. Someday I'm going home to live with the whole family forever and ever and ever!