Faithfully Yours - No freedom is greater than this

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Published on Sunday, November 19, 2017

Neil Strohschein
Neepawa Banner & Press

During my years in Edmonton, I became good friends with a man who fought an on-going battle with depression. He told me it was worst in the winter months. From mid-November to mid-February, his apartment got very little direct sunlight. That was bad enough; but as he got older, other health problems kept him indoors a lot; and that just made matters worse.

To his credit, my friend refused to sit at home and feel sorry for himself. His wife took him out for drives around town, they met friends for coffee during the fall and winter; and he got out to the golf course whenever he could during the summer. He kept as active as possible and filled each day with as much activity as he could handle.

Then, partly as a joke and partly as therapy, he and I started counting down the days from Nov. 15 until Dec. 22 (the shortest day of the year); and whenever we saw each other, we’d tell each other how many days were left. It might not have been the most professional thing to do, but it helped him get through those difficult days.

My friend passed away shortly after I moved to Neepawa; but I still do the countdown—mostly out of habit and partly because it helps me cope with the dark days of winter.

As I thought about him this past week, I was reminded of three verses of Scripture that speak of using time wisely. King David (Psalm 90:12) wrote: “Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” St. Paul spoke of the need to “redeem the time;” and Jesus told his disciples that he needed to do the work of the one who sent him while it was day; because the night was coming when no one could work.

All three statements share a common theme. In this life, there are no guarantees. We don’t know when some major disaster (natural or man-made) might strike that will throw our world into utter chaos. The threat of war breaking out somewhere on earth is always with us. Changes in health, a job loss, economic setback or a random act of violence can hit any one of us at any time and life, as we know it now, will never be the same. That may sound depressing, but that’s how life is.

Knowing this, Jesus, in his Sermon on the Mount, encourages us to live one day at a time. “Don’t worry about tomorrow,” he says. “Tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” (Matthew 6:34)

Jesus didn’t just speak these words—he lived them. He eagerly welcomed a new day, knowing that it would be filled with needy people, challenging situations and cries for help that would break his heart. As each challenge presented itself, he gave it his undivided attention. His faith was in his heavenly father who, he knew, would help him meet every need that he encountered. He had no worries about tomorrow. He could live each day as though it was his last; knowing that one day soon, it would be.

Living as Jesus lived isn’t easy. We must put our faith in the God who knows how many days of life each of us has left, who knows the challenges we will face each day and the things we will need. By trusting him with our tomorrows, we are free to focus on our todays—and no freedom is greater than this.