Now What?

The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1

Easter has come and gone, the hallelujahs have been raised, the flowers on the crosses are losing their luster, the crowds are gone, the hams have been consumed, the hidden Easter eggs have been found, and the adulation and joy of last Sunday is beginning to fade. Now what? Where do we go from here? Is Easter just one day of celebration? How do we keep the celebration going each day of our lives as Christians?

Many of us will look back on our Easter and think, “Wow, it just doesn’t get any better than this!! It was such an uplifting day!” Unfortunately, then we put it on the back burner of our experiences and go on to other things in our daily life. The problem is if we are truly Easter people that doesn’t work. We need to carry that joy and adulation to others and spread the message of Easter. He is risen!! It can be done, but it will take shaking up of our routine in order to achieve it!

This past week Randy and I got away for a few days, and it was so good to shake up the routine of our lives if only for a brief time! We were surrounded by the beauty of the South Carolina lowlands, got to eat some food we have been denying ourselves, watched dolphins swim and play close to shore, and rode bicycles for the first time in years! As we were driving home, I thought, What Now? How do we remember to embrace the joy of each day?

There was a time in each of our lives where we jumped on monkey bars, rode roller coasters, and climbed mountains. No goal was unattainable. Then, we grew up, and we listened to those who would instill insecurities in us. Just like not being on a bicycle in years (because doctors warned Randy of the consequences of a fall with his two artificial knees and hips), fear creeps in and we begin to doubt ourselves. Fortunately, some things are worth the chance, and after we got the fall out of the way, the rest was a breeze and so much fun! What now? More bicycle rides!!

We can be so scared of losing what we have that we don’t go after what we want! Just like a football team which has the lead at halftime and begins to think of how not to lose instead of how to win, we play it safe while the other team takes the chances, plays without fear, and wins, we begin to live our life playing it safe.

In the Garden of Eden, Adam was perfectly formed, but he had no life until God’s spirit breathed into him. It was then that he started walking with God, taking initiative and fulfilling his purpose in life. If we want to continue the Easter spirit, it’s somewhat like riding a bike, we know how to do it, we just need to take the initiative to get it done! What Now?

David said, The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid? That says to me that living and exemplifying our life of faith means overcoming our fear of What Now? and adopting a play to win mindset. A mission that says even though the going is tough, we won’t let the resurrection story become a distant memory until next year!

When we make up our mind to spread the story, it isn’t easy because not everyone wants to hear. We have to pursue it with all the energy and sweat we can muster. Obstacles and struggles will face us at every turn, but these things are just part of life. If we didn’t have them, we wouldn’t appreciate the success we feel when we see an answer to What Now?

This week as Easter people, the thoughts should be these three things: obstacles are meant to be overcome, fear is meant to be conquered, and success is meant to be achieved! We need to refuse to give up until the game is over, the bike is ridden, and the victory won! What Now? Victory!

Oh Jesus I have promised to serve thee to the end. Be thou forever near me, my Master and my Friend. I shall not fear the battle if Thou art by my side; Nor wander from the pathway if Thou wilt be my guide. John Ernest Bode