Eternal Treasure Putting On Your Parachute kim beair, ms, lpc, ncc
D
espite the troubles, trials and disappointments in life, we as
Christians
messed up their mortgages. Can you imagine the life of praying, seeking
should have hope and joy. No
God’s face, and telling everybody else how to live
matter what happens here, on earth, we will always
their lives? No spouses, no bosses, no children, no
have Him. We have every right to be optimistic, to
pets to feed —just praying and preaching and writ-
find joy, to be blessed and happy. “Should” state-
ing. He had some good times. It wasn’t all jail cells
ments are generally negative, but let’s face it, we all
and ship wrecks.
have them.
Pastor Ray Comfort has a wonderful audio called:
The apostle Paul is an awesome guy. Strong, re-
“Hell’s Best Kept Secret.” It is a lesson that puts per-
silient, bold yet humble. One of our more persecuted
spective in place and can help achieve the deep joy
gospel writers, he was in chains at times and likely
Christ can bring. Pastor Comfort speaks of frustra-
up to his knees in, shall we say, a mess, while main-
tion that thousands of people were being reached
taining peace, joy and hope. He was able to see the
for Christ, but fell away. Long ago, someone thought
glorification of Christ in everything that happened
that the real message of Christ just wasn’t exciting
and did not wait to use hindsight—he “got it” even
enough to gain converts, so the message of “Life
in the most horrific moments.
Enhancement” began to emerge. It says “if you get
How do we measure up and have the peace, joy and hope of Paul while we are in our own proverbial chains? First, don’t compare yourself to Paul. You weren’t called to Paul’s calling, and he had
Jesus, life will be rosy.” Here is Pastor Comfort’s analogy of Life Enhancement verses the real truth of the gospel: Two guys get on a plane. They are both given parachutes:
a great advantage; no dissatisfied wife to appease,
Guy #1: He is told the parachute will make him
or a disabled child, or the worry of losing his pay-
happy on the flight, but it is heavy and uncomfort-
check and health insurance that pays for the child’s
able, and the other passengers chastise him for look-
medicine, or the need to take care of his ailing par-
ing like an idiot. He gets increasingly frustrated but
ents while his 401K went bust because other people
leaves it on waiting for the “ah-ha moment” to hit.
14 ASBURY TIDINGS