While I am not foolish enough to think that thinking wisely will solve all of our problems, I am wise enough to know it will solve this one- our problem of misunderstanding our problem. We are utterly filled with foolish worries. We worry about the weather, about traffic, about our finances, about our reputations. We worry about the economy, tensions among nations, pandemics and the health of the planet. All of which are, if they are real problems at all, “under the sun” problems. Every one of them will come to an end, no matter what happens between now and the end. When our curtain falls, whether through our own death or His final return, not one of these problems will remain.
The only real problem you or I or anyone has ever had that won’t be solved by the passage of time is that we are sinners and God is holy. His judgment, while it begins “under the sun” will not cease with the setting of the sun. It will continue forever. His judgment will not only continue forever, but it will in no way be punctuated with moments of grace, of peace. Constant, eternal, immeasurable torment. That’s not a problem. That is the problem.
Quite apart from the glorious truth that the problem has been solved for all those who are in Christ, what business does anyone have worrying about these nothings? And how much less should those whose problem has been solved worry about these nothings? Those outside the kingdom embrace petty, temporal problems precisely to keep their minds off mammoth eternal problems. What excuse though do we have?
Believers should be people of joy. When Paul commands joy of us, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, ‘Rejoice’” (Philippians 4:4), we often wonder how such is even fair. We think joy is something that alights upon us like a magic butterfly rather than something we strive for. If, however, we kept in mind the only true problem we’ve ever had, and kept in mind the glorious truth that it has been solved in Christ, and kept in mind all the blessings we have already received, and all those we are certain to receive, joy would descend on us like a tsunami. Worry would be washed out with the tide.
The truth is, not just the things we worry about, but when those things don’t go our way, we still should be worry-free. Paul tells us, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory (II Corinthians 4:17). Even the hardships redound to blessing in eternity.
I don’t need my circumstances to change. I need my perspective to change. The joy I’m called to, the joy I enjoy, is within reach if I would but look at reality rightly. Forgive me Lord my failure to rejoice, and lead me to rejoice in Your forgiveness.