Does Jesus make a difference in our lives before we die?

There’s plenty of things we know in our Christian lives. We understand that God made us, that sin bent us, and that we needed Jesus’ blood to reconcile us. But sometimes, this all feels far-off to us. Jesus worked to fix our past state, and He’s preparing heaven as our future state—but we’re not sure how He impacts now.

But Jesus isn’t just about getting you into heaven. He’s concerned with more than the end of your life. He’s come to give us life now, and to give it abundantly (John 10:10). Jesus transforms our lives right now, through allowing us to live in God’s promises, presence, and power.

You shouldn’t stop in the middle of a story. 

Would you ever turn off a movie right in the middle? If you did, then you stop when the team loses, when the bad guy wins. If you turn off Lion King in the middle, then Simba is stuck trying to sing his hurt away, and Scar remains king of pride rock. If you stop Avengers in the middle, Thanos wins, and half the universe is gone. We all know better than to stop a story in the middle.

But sometimes we do that with ours.

The most dangerous problems are ones you don’t know. 

Imagine you’re preparing for a long car trip, the trunk stuffed full with your suitcases, your passenger seat full of travel-snacks, and your mind assured that your car is in perfect condition. But it’s not. There’s something wrong with the engine. And you don’t know. As you drive, you may get frustrated with the weird noises and odd smell; but you’re sure nothing is wrong with your car. So you’re frustrated at the hurt to your ears and nose you’re experiencing--but you’re also in great danger of your whole car catching on fire. Something in the car’s design has gone wrong. Being ignorant of the problem puts you in danger.

God designed us to know and experience love. We saw last week how we are made to walk in communion with Him, in His peace, but we can be filled with anxiety. We were intended to experience His love--but so often, we don’t. What happened? 

Our world has broken down.

“What am I doing here?”

The thought floats across Sarah’s mind yet again, as she folds yet another load of laundry. Every day feels the same, and she’s not sure of her purpose. She feels like she’s always behind, always running to catch up--but not even sure what the goal is. So she fills her life with busyness, to try to find a purpose. She runs from errand to appointment to soccer game--but she feels like she’s drifting in slow motion. That nagging voice in the back of her mind keeps asking why she’s here or what she’s supposed to be doing.

Maybe you feel like Sarah today. You’re not sure of your purpose--is there a reason why you’re here today? Are you here just to live, work, and then disappear? Is that all there is to your story?

There is more--but we can only understand it through God’s story.