Life is Messy!

I have been thinking about stuff lately like Life. I heard a few stories lately of people's lives. And most of them not so pretty; lives involving rape, child molestation, incest, cults, divorce, drugs, and alcoholism. In my mind when I hear of people walking through those horrific events I think well if they just had Jesus then their problems would be solved. Jesus is the answer! But he isn't...at least not in the way I have been thinking. I used to think that if you do A, B, and C then you will get the perfect outcome, and that may have been true in the Garden of Eden but ever since sin things don't work so easily! You can do A, B, and C...and D and E and F and...so on, but things still might not turn out the way we hoped or expected. You see when I used to think Jesus was the answer I was thinking well if I just try to be perfect and live my life the right way then none of those terrible things will happen to me! And that isn't true! That has never been promised to me! God said that all things happen for the good of those who love him and are called according to His purpose but He didn't say that everything that will happen will be good and perfect happily ever after! Thinking that way is religious entitlement! Life is Messy and things don't always turn out the way we want them to. The answer isn't Jesus, the answer is to follow Jesus, to love Him with all your Heart, mind, and soul, to give him all your problems and trust that He has a plan and a purpose for them that will be good for you in the end. Jesus had a crappy life by the world's standards but in the end He had everything! He is God! Life is such a tiny blink of eternity and if we worry and fret about it being perfect, just like we imagine it to then we are wasting our life! Wasting time to give more glory to God by following Him, pursuing His heart EVEN in our trouble and worries and hard times!

I was reading a book about a marriage where the woman wanted to divorce her husband so she did everything she could to make her husband fall out of love with her so they could divorce. She wanted to be with another man but her husband couldn't let her go. He kept fighting to win her love back! She eventually left and they divorced at least legally but years and years went by and the husband still acted married. He still wore his ring, he still prayed for his wife. He still loved her. Truly loved her. He wouldn't give her up because that what true love was. He did A, B, and C but he still was left alone the rest of his life while his wife married another man and moved on. Life is messy! He loved God and did what was asked of hi. He never got the results he desired but he got something better. True love from his Savior and king Jesus.

Another example is I was talking to a woman about her childhood. She had been molested and raped by close family members. Things that were dont to her were so terrible! But when she had the opportunities to escape from her molesters she lied to protect them. She was more afraid of the unknown of being pulled from the only family she knew even if they did cause her the greatest pain. And I have heard of so many more stories similar! God healed her after many many years but why all the pain!

So my conclusion...Life is messy...Following Jesus is the answer...Don't get attached to your dream come true plans in this life...Praise Jesus in all circumstances!