Matthew 5:45b (NKJV)
“…for He makes His sun rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”
These are hard days for our family. When I think about it, we are not in uncharted territory, for others have had similar tragedies. Others have similar pain.
Part of living in this fallen world is dealing with the bad along with the good. We all have good and great days and we all have days that take our breath away in devastating fashion. Saved and unsaved, lost and found, Job says we are all “full of trouble” (Job 14:1). Don’t be deceived by those who preach “prosperity” or “only good things”. The whole fifth chapter of Matthew talks about the blessedness of those who endure hard times and gives guidance on what that endurance looks like.
So the mark of our Christianity is not that our circumstances are different from those who do not follow Christ. We are not shielded from all heartache and pain. The mark of our Christianity is our behavior and response in the midst of those circumstances. In hard times, a follower of Christ will fall on their face before a sovereign and loving God while the world will shake their fist at Him to complain and demand He do something different. A follower will believe. A follower will submit. A follower will trust. A follower will obey. A follower will love. A follower will be thankful. A follower will rejoice. A follower will worship.
The rain falls on us all. The mark of who we are and whose we are will be revealed in all aspects of life, good and bad. Our eyes are fixed on Christ, our hands are raised to Him for help and in praise, our feet walk the path He has for us in obedience and faithfulness. Rain or sunshine, waves or calm, tremors or tranquility, the difference is who lives inside of us not what happens to us on the outside. The difference is Christ.