God said, We're All Good!"

​Early this morning I woke up to a nagging sense of angst. I don’t like it when I feel that way. Even though it was earlier than I wanted to get up I knew there was no more sleep to be had for me. Do you ever experience this type of thing? It can be work related, relational, financial or a million other reasons, but the result is the same – I do not feel at peace!
 
The things in my world that have me writing about this problem are quite inconsequential when compared to big issues like having a child with cancer, dealing with a broken marriage or a deep depression that leaves people barely hanging on. Even though I can be thankful I am not personally processing any of three burdens I just listed, it doesn’t mean my lack of peace isn’t real.
 
Don’t you like when things just feel right? I sure do! It takes me back to being a kid and just enjoying the day that was playing out before me. I knew my parents loved me and I had a place. It seemed so easy for me to just be Nick and trust God with the big stuff.
 
Humanity craves peace and being right with the world. God made us that way. So, this morning I need to own the fact that my sense of “offness” is a combination of a world that has rebelled against God and on the personal front, my clearly imperfect trust in God. But here is the really good news in it all – I am a Child of God because that is what He made me. My Father in Heaven has declared to me that all is good between us – Jesus brought peace and reconciliation to my broken and rebellious soul.
 
The need for peace and reconciliation is what our text and message are about this Sunday. Paul also makes it clear in 2 Corinthians 5 that once God accomplishes this in our lives, He wants us to let others know about it.
 
 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation… 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
 
God invites us to do this in our homes and all through the world. We will be sending a check out in the next couple weeks that will connect us to the work in Chad being done by Pastor Malloum, Rachel, Ezekiel and Aline. The micro-loan we send will be used by this family of missionary pastors to drill wells, bring water to villages and open doors for reconciliation with God to be proclaimed. They are Christ’s ambassadors along with us to these Fulbe communities that have never heard the message of the love of God that comes in Jesus Christ.
 
My morning cry for peace that I mentioned earlier serves as a reminder that we are called to be Jesus’ messengers of a peace that is so comprehensive it includes a peace with God, each other and life itself. Let it begin with me!
 
May we be about God’s Peace and Reconciliation,
Pastor Nick