Everybody's gotta live This song from back in the day reminds me of what life felt like without Christ… except the words aren’t dark enough. If there is no God, I will live and die… and I will never know the reason why. Being in Christ changes everything. I will still die, but now I know the reason why. And I know where the Lord has promised to take me when I do. Nothing that happens here will ever change that. Lots of takeaways from this Pandemic Season. Planet Earth has never felt smaller. I can freak out about how a new virus presents an immediate danger to me. Or I can embrace some helpful truths it forces upon me. It levels the playing field. Better said, it shatters the illusion of distinction. It brings into focus the stupidity of tribalism… the hubris of privilege, entitlement or racial superiority… the false security of gated communities and healthy money markets. We are all equally fragile, equally vulnerable, equally mortal. I was born in 1950. I am not the last of the Mohicans, but I am one of the last batch of baby boomers. That means I was not here for World Wars I & II, the Great Depression or the 1918 FLU PANDEMIC that swept away millions. As age catches up to me, I struggle with a harsh irony. My strength wanes while the desire to be useful intensifies. Why am I still here? At times I have wondered, but not now. Now I live in a globally cataclysmic moment. I can feel Mordechai’s steely-eyed glare as he asks me: “and who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14. Our Gospel is still the eternal Gospel. It still needs proclaimed as widely as possible. It still needs lived in a loving, calming and dignified manner. In our pandemic I have been gifted with…
Today is my time to shine. Yours too, right? "And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever." Isaiah 32:17 "But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation say continually, “Great is the LORD!”" Psalm 40:16
10 Comments
Karen Couch
3/27/2020 04:21:41 pm
Thank you brother Greg! Much needed word at a time like this!
Greg Smith
3/27/2020 04:26:11 pm
Thank you Karen for your sweet words... Praying for you and everyone connected with DBC...
Rebekah Smith-Lueb
3/27/2020 06:31:34 pm
Isaiah 32:17 is exactly what I need to be reminded of every single moment of my day. As the physical manifestations of anxiety show themselves, my brain can be at peace in Christ. This probably sounds like a contradiction, but it is true for me.
Greg Smith
3/27/2020 09:27:05 pm
No contradiction at all...! We have limited control of our physical well-being. We are usually expected to live with the cards that were dealt to us. That means finding peace, liberty, and spiritual maturity in the midst of our maladies.
Tom Bragdon
3/31/2020 01:56:10 pm
You have been divinely gifted with clarity and insight as well as the ability to communicate with such passion and sincerity. Your ministry has reached far beyond the Yucatán Peninsula! I treasure your friendship.
Greg Smith
4/1/2020 11:20:37 am
Dear friend... thank your for your precious words. It is so encouraging to hear from you. May the Lord protect and use you as he always has... and more each day!
Steve Chambers
3/31/2020 01:58:32 pm
Great words brother Greg.
Greg Smith
3/31/2020 03:32:40 pm
Great hearing from you Steve... thank you!
Brian Massey
3/31/2020 02:36:35 pm
Great insight! I cannot fathom how someone goes through this pandemic without Christ and the comfort he gives.
Greg Smith
3/31/2020 03:35:16 pm
Thank you Brian! Truly, a time to pray for folks who need the Lord... Leave a Reply. |
Yes...! As of July 5, 2020, my book is now available on Amazon.com. It's a new book about an old problem: the cross and the crown… the Gospel and politics… do they mix? Should they mix? If my words generate some reflection and healthy conversation—as in more light and less heat—I will be satisfied. For feedback or questions, feel free to use the email link below. 
Greg SmithGreg grew up in Menomonee Falls, WI. His ministry began in 1976: 5 years in Central America, 37 in Mexico. Church planting and discipleship have been his passion. CAROL'S BLOG
LivingTheJoy.net "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field." -Matthew 13:44 GREG'S other BLOG
BILINGUAL DEVOTIONAL
Concise devotions in Spanish and English, along with some lengthier essays… Designed for personal spiritual growth and to help anyone studying English or Spanish as a second language to improve their skills… Rev 14:6 Categories
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