We know the heartache and struggle of our own story. And we’re well aware that those around us are not spared either. On top of all of this, we’re constantly bombarded with stories of pain and suffering from around the globe. There’s heaviness everywhere we turn and it becomes very tempting just to give up – checking out and keeping ourselves otherwise distracted. But we must have the eyes to see this for what it is to keep pressing forward.
To be sure, there are many things in this life not as it should be. And many of our struggles are simply the everyday struggles common to man since the beginning of time. But then there’s this extra heaviness that comes that’s not limited to our own personal story. It feels like oppression, and, in fact, that’s exactly what it is.
We live in a world at war. And spiritual forces of evil are hell-bent on destroying the goodness and beauty of God, while also taking as many of the people of God out as they can. The extra heaviness we feel is not merely a coincidence, it’s part of evil’s strategic warfare. And knowing this helps us to resist.
Of course, resistance doesn’t mean we have to deny the casualties of war along the way. The hurt, pain, and losses we endure still matter and should be rightly honored. At the same time, we learn to see these as realities of war without automatically assuming we’re somehow blowing it because life is so difficult.
And certainly part of resistance would include fighting for the joy and beauty that’s still available, and holding on to hope even when the night is dark.
In the end, don’t lose heart when the heaviness of life wears you down. We live in a world at war that touches each of our stories. But God’s story is not over yet, and he gives us the ultimate victory through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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