Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

Yesterday in St. Louis it was 50 degrees. Today the wind chill is -1 and there is enough snow that school has been cancelled. St. Louisians know that the common joke is, "if you hate the weather, just wait a day and it will change." How true that is!

So many things in this world change around us on a daily basis. Just think of the foods we eat. For years eggs were 'the perfect food', now they are to be avoided because of cholesterol. Red meat was pretty much the same until the Atkins diet, then meat was ok and carbs were evil. And diet soda -- it was the savior for those who were overweight until we discovered that not only are artificial sweeteners unhealthy, they can make us want to eat more! If you don't like what you are told to eat, wait a day and it will change!

Everywhere we look we see mixed messages. "Don't obsess about body image", but look at the photoshopped covers of magazines for pictures of the 'perfect' body. Work hard to succeed in school, but then those who succeed aren't recognized as valedictorians anymore because that might "hurt someone's self-esteem". Buy the biggest home possible, and redecorate it regularly to demonstrate your success versus save  for retirement because there may not be a pension or social security to help.

One thing we can be assured of in this world, there will be change. Our world today is changing faster than at any time in the past. How do we decide what is truth and what isn't? After all, if we look to the internet or the library for answers, we can find 'research and wisdom' that verify both sides of almost any issue.

For me, the truth is found in John 16, verse 33. Jesus is speaking:

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

 

Jesus has been confiding with his followers about the future -- that he will return to Heaven and they will be scattered. Trouble is coming, but he tells us in advance so we can be confident in Him and to accept His peace if we truly believe He wins in the end. And if you read the Bible through to the end, you will see that this is true!

 

So look at all the changes the world is bringing to us, evaluate them carefully, and have peace that God is in control!