The Phone Call

Jesus asks, “what good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:36). As we look around the world today, we see so many people who spend so much time seeking to gain wealth, popularity, right relationships, perfect jobs, the best education, the fastest computer, the largest CD collection, or whatever else. I don’t know about you, but I for one am guilty of far too many of these inane pursuits. As Christians, are we mistakenly striving to gain the whole world only to end up forfeiting our very souls? Are our priorities misplaced?

Life seems to be going to well and then it comes. The dreaded phone call. Your roommate’s brother was diagnosed with cancer. Your grandfather is having emergency surgery. Your mom’s car was hit by a reckless driver. In a moment of time, our world can be turned upside down. In the light of these things, how important are worldly possessions? “’Meaningless! Meaningless!’ says the teacher. Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless!’” (Ecclesiastes 1:2). Solomon’s wisdom comes all too clearly into focus and the words of Jesus echo again in our minds. “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world …” How selfish and shortsighted we have become!
Selfishness is common to us all. Paul lists selfish ambitions among the works of the flesh in Galatians 5:20. Jeremiah reminds us that, “the heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure” (Jeremiah 17:9). So why must we wait to change until we get the phone call? We have a deep desire to change! Why must we wait? Even though we are ready, willing, and able to change, our body does not want to come along for the ride. Jesus told His disciples, “the spirit is willing, but the body is weak” (Matthew 26:41). So often, we allow ourselves to be ruled by our sin nature rather than by the righteous standards of God’s Word. Must we always wait for the phone call?

Praising God Amidst Our Trials

When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
‘It is well, it is well with my soul.’

As we sing It Is Well With My Soul at church, the words might touch us. They might even pierce our hearts as we think about the great love of Jesus. So often, as with many of the songs we sing and the verses we read, we only see the finished product. But what went into the writing of this beautiful song?

Though Satan should buffet, tho’ trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

In 1873, Horatio G. Spafford had made plans with his family to take a vacation from Chicago to Europe. Due to business concerns, he sent his family ahead and he was to meet up with them when business settled down. Shortly thereafter, Spafford received a telegram from his wife explaining that their ship had sunk with their four daughters on it. After boarding the next ship to Wales, Spafford wrote the words to the poem we know so well.

My sin – oh, the bliss of this glorious thou’t! –
My sin – not in part, but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

Jesus endured death on the cross for the joy of eternal fellowship with you. The result of so great a sacrifice is that we no longer need bear the weight of our own sins, but we are able to walk in the liberty that we, as children of the living God, have in Christ. “Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” (2 Corinthians 3:17). “Having forgiven you all trespasses…He has taken [our sin] out of the way, having nailed it to the cross” (Colossians 2:13,14).

And, Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll,
The trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend,
‘Even so,’ it is well with my soul.

In times of adversity, it is only natural for us to cling to that which is most familiar. As we see in the words of this hymn, that which was most familiar to Spafford was the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. We also look to find hope in something. Spafford found solace in “looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). As members of the Body of Christ, we are always to remember that Christ, our head, is in ultimate control of all that we do! Praise God because He is in control of everything, even when it seems that everything is out of control!