Downhearted Blues

You know, I go into my room, I sat down and cried,
I didn't have no blues, but I wasn't satisfied
Yes, I went in my room, and I said, and I sat down and I cried,
Yes, I didn't have no blues, but I just wasn't satisfied

Son House

I have no peace, no quietness;
I have no rest, but only turmoil

Job 3:26

The Christian life is not an easy life. Loving people is not easy. I struggle with this on a daily basis. How do we love people that mistreat or abuse us? How do we maintain a spirit of love for strangers when those very strangers seem to go out of their way to test us? Certainly, working in a retail customer service environment is not an environment conducive to producing large sums of love that overflow to all the people one must deal with on a daily basis. And so the dealings of work make it easier to refuse love to others outside of the work place. So I am left with two options: Change the environment or change my perspective. However, I often wonder that if I were to switch jobs, would loving people the way Christ loved be easier? I have come to the conclusion that it would not. I need a change of heart. I need Jesus to change my perspective. I need him to show me people through His eyes. I need His grace and I need it more when I am at work. This is the Christian life. A daily reminder that sinful human beings cannot even keep the simple commandments to love. My sin at the workplace torments me.

The good news though is this: There is no condemnation for those in Christ. As I seek to be sanctified and made holy, the constant reminder that it is grace alone through faith alone, that will purify me. My sinful nature is waging war against the Spirit inside of me. And while I seem to make progress, I find it very difficult to crucify my flesh on a daily basis. And so I run back to the arms of grace to see me through. I'm reminded of the words of John Calvin,

"As all mankind are, in the sight of God, lost sinners, we hold that Christ is their only righteousness, since by his obedience, he has wiped off our transgressions; by his sacrifice, appeased the divine anger; by his blood washed away our stains; by his cross borne our curse; and by his death, made satisfaction for us."

These beautiful words mean one thing to me. That we were saved to be free. So don't let the failures of today affect the growth of tomorrow. We are freedmen. We are sons and daughters of the Most High. Let us rejoice in our great sin because of our great Savior, who daily sanctifies us.