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Coping with the Down Times
On the Rocks What are we supposed to do when our lives feel like they’re on the rocks? The Christian tradition has an image of a rock, buffeted by high surf whipped to a frenzy by strong winds. A figure is cleaning to the rock. Looking closely, we can see that the rock is in the shape of a cross. The message seems undeniable. Cling to the Rock, when you’re on the rocks… Yet so often, when high surf threatens our primary relationships, we don’t have the strength to cling. We give up. Why does this happen, in a family, for instance? Why aren’t our arms strong enough to hold our loved ones near? And why don’t we cling to the Rock when our own souls are troubled by temptation?
Well, we’re not God. That’s the short answer. It’s also the long answer. Christ lived a sinless life, and we are to grow ever more like Christ. Perhaps that’s what clinging to the Rock means — persevering in our desire to live for Christ, even when we’re most deeply threatened by our own mistakes or the mistakes of those we love. Have you ever lapsed into anger? Or judgment... pride...fear...blame...over-commitment…gluttony? These can be a useful reminder of a necessary return to a God-centered life, or they can be the high surf of temptation ripping you away from a God-centered life. Your perspective, humble or prideful, makes the difference. One of the best protections against the buffeting, and against pride, is to pray. In private as well as in church. Another is to read scripture — how did Jesus live, and how can I model my life ever more closely on his? When we feel most “on the rocks” and don’t know which way to turn, we’ve forgotten the answer to all dilemmas, all heartbreak...and the One who loves us beyond all telling...we’ve forgotten that our comfort and peace comes from a return to Christ centeredness. So a word of encouragement might be found in a verse like this one:
Revelation 3:21 — He who overcometh shall inherit all things, and he shall be My son, and I shall be his God. Persevere. Be renewed and lifted up. “Make in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me…” |
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