As I sit here at my desk I can look outside and see the snow continuing to come down. I have opened the door numerous times today in an attempt to judge how much may have fallen already. Perhaps I have the desire to know that information from my dad, as when I spoke with him, he had also been out in his yard trying to determine the amount of snow. It was not as if we had to ask each other about this information, we simply knew that it would be part of our conversation today. I spoke with a number of people today via phone, text, and email and I began to formulate my thoughts for this blog. A snowy day in which not too much activity takes place in our area I have a chance to reflect on the simple things.
What are the simple things in our lives? Do we sometimes expect problems to occur? Do we as Christians ever go through our days with a thought that things are going well, but I am really glad that I have the Lord in my life, because something is going to come along and change this good road that I am on? Now maybe as you read that you say, “Oh, you mean the type of Christian who always sees the glass as ‘half empty.’” Even as I wrote the word “empty” I was correcting it from the word “full.” What is our nature as we look out at life? No, I am not talking about our nature as sinners, and how we have been changed, and saved from our sin by grace alone. We should always remember that because of God’s grace we have an eternity that will be filled with the joy of His presence. So far away from being “half empty,” but rather full of Christ.
But what about this idea of walking around with a “half empty” mindset? Should that be the way, as believers in Christ, that we should act? Can we always just keep the “half full” thought in our heads? If you are reading this and perhaps are saying that “Yes I am a half empty person.” I would speculate that because of that you may find yourself in a weary state. We all get weary at times in our lives, and I think that this past year many have found themselves in that weary state of Covid-19 fatigue, or more of a concern perhaps, Covid-19 fear. Concern, fear, working in a different situation, or just a pounding down by the news media have piled on the weariness. Even as I write this, I have the governor of Connecticut’s press conference on in the background and I hear local newscasters simply asking the same questions asked each day about testing and vaccines.
How about a verse of Scripture that we know well hopefully? “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28 NASB). Can we come to Jesus as He calls us and take upon us His yoke as He tells us? Yes, we can, is my hope as I write this because the words of Jesus say, “I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29). What is Jesus calling us to do? He is calling us to love God and love our neighbors, and in doing that we will find rest! Is the loving of God and others a burden? No, it is freedom. When we can pry ourselves from the half empty mindset, we know the love of Christ more, we know the love we have to share with our Lord more, we find the ease in which we can love others more. A world that is not “half empty,” but rather a world that is full of the love of Christ – everywhere!