A Steady Assurance

   One of the things I'm learning about is the steady assurance that comes from following Jesus. It's a weird thing to really apply to everyday life (at least for anxious, control freak me). What does it mean to live in light of the face that I belong to Jesus and to another Kingdom. The currency, culture and core beliefs of Christ's kingdom are not the same as the world around me. And because it isn't the same, I have a hard time fully trusting the assurance that comes with citizenship.
    Two times this I've had interactions impacting my heart about assurance. The first was while reading A Long Obedience in the Same Direction by Eugene Peterson. There is a whole chapter about security and the implications about how security impacts how we live now. A lot of the chapter focuses on our feelings. Just because I feel anxious or afraid doesn't mean that God is any less sovereign or loving. Just because I feel chaos and insecurity doesn't mean that my position of security has changed. Most of the time, my feelings (or my gut, whatever you want to call it) have a much larger impact on what I deem reality than they should. Although how I feel matters, it doesn't change my position or my citizenship in the Kingdom.

My feelings are important for many things. They are essential and valuable. They keep me aware of much that is true and real. But they tell me next to nothing about God or my relation to God. My security comes from who God is, not from how I feel.

-Eugene Peterson

     The other encounter was with a dear friend waiting on some news. She's in a weird limbo place. The not knowing. That is my least favorite place in the whole world. It's awful. We talked about how scary this place is and she told me, "You know what is really scary? Dealing with this and not knowing the Lord." And she was right. As believers we can face the unknown with the confidence that not only are we not alone, but we are guided and loved by the all knowing Creator. And that place isn't so scary. Like when my brother and I were kids and my parents told us to hop in the car. We didn't know where we going or when we would be home, but we knew that our parents loved us and weren't going to lead us into a gang fight (whoa...that was a little dramatic...you get the picture) or put us in harm's way. And the best part was that they were going to be there with us. 

     So many times we face life with anxiety and fear, but for those in Jesus we can go assuredly knowing that our position is secure and He walks with us.