I have a secret.  I don’t always hop out of bed singing Praise and Worship songs. Sometimes all I want to do is pull the covers up over my head and sleep til Jesus returns.

When I see people wearing those “Life is Good” t-shirts, I have a less than holy urge to challenge them. Life is hard. There are good -even great- moments, but there’s also sickness, bills, unemployment, loneliness, deceit, worry, fear, rejection, evil, and bad hair days.

I would have to say that I am not very excited about my life most days. I would also have to say that my focus is not in the right place, because my faith tells me I have great reason to be excited.

I was reading in John 19 this morning. This passage details Jesus’ crucifixion. He, though declared innocent time and time again, still went to the cross to pay for sin. My sin. Your sin. He gave up his last breath and said “It is finished”. God made a way to be both just and merciful in Jesus’ death. My sin has already been atoned for. I have a big red PAID stamp on a bill that was way to high for me to handle.I do not carry the weight of it anymore. It is finished. For anyone who trusts in him: It is finished. You’re in.

This part: the uncertainty, the disappointment, the hurt: it’s temporary. I know we still have to go through it. It still sucks sometimes. But. It’s temporary. 120 years, tops.

We will spend eternity with God and Jesus and the people of God. No more sickness. No more shootings. No more painful eyelashes stuck somewhere behind your eyeball.

Just family. And food. And life. All with Jesus. All together. That, I can get excited about.

That’s all it’s about. All of it. Right now, all of life is about that moment on the cross. We’re all headed toward our last breath, too.

Love people enough to tell them what life is all about, and where they can find hope.

Jesus wants to give life to that girl at your job. To your boss. To your dad, and your little brother. If they don’t have hope, then this is the best their life will ever be. Someone has to pay for our sin, and if we say “Thanks but no thanks” to Jesus, then we’re going to be held responsible. That is so scary.

So..to all 4 of you who read this..if you’re interested..let’s talk. I will try to answer any questions you have, or I will find someone who can. I don’t like to push my faith on people, but this is so important. I want you to have hope, and joy, and the promise of eternity in safety and peace. You’ve seen enough to know that God created this world. You’ve seen enough to know that something went wrong somewhere. You’ve seen that life after death is legit, and that there’s more than what we can see with our eyes.

The answers are in the Bible and in the death and resurrection of Christ.

Life is hard, but God is good. Put that on a t-shirt.

Ang