25 Jun, 2009
Do You Want the Good News or the Bad News?
Today's world is filled with so much bad news. Just flip on the TV and you get it on almost every station:
72 people killed in a car bombing in Baghdad, Iraq on Wednesday. The bomb tore through an outdoor market while people were buying groceries. Bad news.
South Carolina governor Mark Sanford tearfully admits that he is having an affair with a woman in Argentina. His wife of over 20 years must hear him confess nationally as well as his three boys. Bad news.
The U.S. government declares that it is imposing sanctions on North Korea due to its threat to the world by declaring that it is pursuing nuclear bomb capabilities. This no doubt will put a strain on U.S. and North Korea relations. Bad news.
These are all national stories and they don't stop there. Behind these bad stories are more lining up to be told and written about. Not to mention that the local news stories and our personal lives are filled with a lot of bad news. Bad news sells and we are more than eager to get the dirt on anyone and anything.
Matthew 9:35 (NIV)
Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.
Mark 16:15 (NIV
He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.
Acts 5:42 (NIV)
Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.
What does God say about Good News?
Christ and His disciples were always talking about the 'good news.' Undoubtedly they had a lot of bad news during that time but they focused on sharing the good news.
As much as we are entertained by bad news, we are discouraged and exhausted by it. Most of us like good endings to movies because of this. It is hardwired into our being. We want good to prevail, the hero to always win and for lovers to live happily ever after.
While Christ does not promise that everything in our life will be easy and that we will always have good news, He does promise us 'good news.' And that good news is Christ crucified and raised from the dead. Because of what He has done for us we are promised a 'good ending.' That should bring us tremendous joy.
It is so easy to focus on the bad things in our lives but Christ has given us eternal life and that life begins right now!
- Make a list of all the things in your life that are bad or difficult (things you wished could be better). Give them to the Lord and let Him take control of them.
- Thank God each morning for the 'good news' of being in Christ. In the midst of all that is bad or painful, focus on the goodness of God and the great ending to the story for those who are in Christ.
- Think of a friend or family member who needs some good news in their lives. Like Christ and the disciples share with them the good news of life in Christ. This may seem oversimplified but trusting in the goodness of God is often the very essence to our growth in Christ (It is very difficult to follow Christ if we don't believe in His goodness). Many non-believers are aching to see our joy in Christ's goodness instead of a lifeless Christian who is just interested in being religious.
- March 2010 [8]
- February 2010 [19]
- January 2010 [22]
- December 2009 [22]
- November 2009 [21]
- October 2009 [22]
- September 2009 [21]
- August 2009 [20]
- July 2009 [21]
- June 2009 [22]
- May 2009 [18]
- April 2009 [15]
- March 2009 [7]
- February 2009 [17]
- January 2009 [20]
- December 2008 [23]
- November 2008 [19]
- October 2008 [22]
- September 2008 [22]
- August 2008 [19]
- July 2008 [22]
- June 2008 [11]
- May 2008 [20]
- April 2008 [22]
- March 2008 [21]
- February 2008 [18]
- January 2008 [20]
- December 2007 [18]
- November 2007 [15]
- October 2007 [19]
- September 2007 [18]
- August 2007 [12]
- July 2007 [12]
- June 2007 [9]
- May 2007 [11]
- April 2007 [10]
- March 2007 [11]
- February 2007 [14]
- January 2007 [7]
- December 2006 [4]
- November 2006 [13]
- October 2006 [17]
- September 2006 [11]
- August 2006 [16]
- July 2006 [10]
- June 2006 [3]
