We live in an era of angst.
Uncertainty seems to pervade much of our lives. And if left unchecked, this uncertainty can leave us apprehensive.
Be it an unexpected email or text, an atypical situation at work or school, parenting difficulties, or even just the news - as a result of disturbance, we can quickly find ourselves off balance. We are left feeling uneasy, short-fused, and if we are honest, out of control. To counter this spin, we often aggressively seek to reassert control of something else (typically at the expense of those closest to us), or we step back in hopes that it will pass - neither action providing resolution to the issue at hand.
I am confronted by the unanswered calls, emails, and texts that I allow to dwell in my queue before I finally come around to respond. Much like Schrödinger's cat, I can assume both everything is fine (and terrible), until I finally gather the fortitude to take action and resolve the disruption.
But is this how we were meant to live? Ignoring the little red circles that pop up on our phones?
In Hebrews, we are called to instead live confidently. For if we have been gifted redemption, what is left to fear?
“So let’s do it - full of belief, confident that we’re presentable inside and out. Let’s keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word. Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out.”
This verse both encourages us that Jesus’ sacrifice has fully redeemed us, and charges us to take action. The message I see is that we should use the confidence gained from our own restoration as fuel to drive us to better love and help those around us.
We often talk about this confidence that comes from our faith, but the question is do we really live it out? Do we live in a way that projects victory and peace to those around us? Or do we live in a way that looks remarkably similar to their own? What might living in full confidence in Christ look like?
Maybe it is time to accept the promises that we have been given and the reality it has created for us. To set forth confident that we are redeemed, and to use that confidence to shed some angst and better love people.