We will be celebrating Easter this coming Sunday.
Today, I want offer suggestions for living in resurrection power each day, however.
1. Let the future-tense hope of resurrection grant you present-tense joy today. Knowing that all will be right in the end — and, actually, throughout all eternity — should give us peace today. Let the promise of tomorrow affect your present.
Check out “Preparing our Hearts for Easter” by Denise George.
2. Focus on the person of the resurrection rather than the problems life brings. Life has a way of pounding at us, and we allow the enemy to distract our thinking and destroy our hope. When that happens, turn your eyes on the Jesus of resurrection.
3. Watch for the unexpected moments of resurrection hope in a grief-stricken world. The women went to the tomb of Jesus wondering who would move the stone, but they surprisingly found the rock had already been rolled away. Don’t let your personal griefs cloud your vision when God’s already taken care of eternity.
4. Don’t allow worry to consume you. Not only is worry a lack of trust in God, but it also takes its toll on our bodies. Worry says, “I’m not sure how this is going to work out”; resurrection living says, “I know God will work this out for His glory.”
5. Thank God for all things. Paul tells us to do that (1 Thess 5:18). Frankly, it’s easier to do that when you know that the best is yet to come — and believe that the best will last forever. Struggles lose their lasting power in the light of resurrection life.
6. Grieve when necessary, but grieve differently than the world does (1 Thess 4:13). Life still hurts at times, and the pain of death can be gripping — but these pains are only temporary, and they cannot ultimately rob us of joy. Go ahead and cry, but let the world see hope in your tear-stained eyes.
7. Tell somebody else about Jesus. When we evangelize, we re-tell the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection. When others respond positively to the gospel, we see zeal that the hope of resurrection brings; when others deny the gospel, we nevertheless pray they will eventually meet Christ.
8. Genuinely celebrate life when your church gathers every Sunday. Don’t let Easter Sunday be the only time each year when you rejoice over resurrection. Apart from that part of the story, we would have no reason to gather any Sunday.
9. Be grateful for the spring — and then look forward to it year after year. I realize some readers live in places where seasons are not as prominent, and I understand this last point may not carry the weight of the others. It’s simply something that helps me: when God turns the world green again out of the depth of winter, I’m reminded that He grants new beginnings. Rejoice over that truth.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Chuck Lawless and originally published by chucklawless.com.
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