Remembering the Resurrection

With Easter behind us, many of us go right back to what we consider our "normal" lives, meaning lives that we live between Sundays, lives lived outside of church walls, lives in which the cares and worries of everyday life take over and Christ takes a backseat. In light of having just celebrated Easter, maybe we ought to reconsider our approach to daily life and the fractured view we have of life lived on Sundays and life lived between Sundays. Easter commemorates Jesus's resurrection, His demonstration of power over death, sin, and the grave. It reminds us that although the people around Him treated Him with contempt and hate, crucifying Him on a cross after giving Him a thorough beating, He didn't let them win. Easter proves to us that our God is greater.

And yet we live lives filled with despair, worry, and fear. We get so consumed by the obstacles in front of us that we don't look up and acknowledge the amazing power of the God watching over us. We let our own personal Goliaths overshadow the strength and might that could be ours if only we would believe God is on our side and has given us the tools we need to slay the giants.

If we were to truly embrace the truth of the resurrection and its implications, we would live life victoriously. We would see that in everything, we are more than conquerors through Jesus Christ (Romans 8:37). We would boldly face the mountains standing in our way, knowing that every trial and blessing alike are designed to grow us, teach us, and point us back to God, ultimately for our good and His glory, and with Him, we can handle anything life throws our way (Philippians 4:13).

Instead of facing challenges with an attitude of "I can't do this," "this is impossible," "this day is going to be terrible," or "this is as good as it's gonna get," we can remind ourselves that the light is stronger than the dark. Our Savior conquered death for us, and we are free to embrace His joy, love, and hope. No, our problems won't magically disappear, but we have the comfort of knowing that the things we suffer through today can't even compare to the joy of eternal life ahead of us (2 Corinthians 4:17).

I'm not saying our struggles and obstacles aren't real or can be dismissed with a positive attitude alone. I'm saying that we have a source of power that is infinite, and we can draw upon that strength to stand up and face our giants, knowing our God is with us and for us. He will never abandon us. His strength is more than sufficient to handle all of our troubles, although He may not always act when or how we want.

We know who wins in the end. And we can live our daily lives empowered by that truth if we choose to. What we believe about who we are changes our outlook on life. May you and I remember today and every day that we are more than conquerors through Christ.