When life gets turned upside down.

Haggai 1:1-15 was the Old Testament lesson in our devotions this morning. Through the prophet the LORD was chastising the people for having the wrong priorities. It was because the people were always and only involved in their own satisfaction – and not in the worship and service of the LORD – that their endeavors were always left wanting. “Consider how you have fared. You have sown much, and harvested little; you eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages earns wages to put them into a bag with holes” (1:5b-6).

This got the attention of the people of Judah! They dropped what they had been doing for themselves and set themselves to the rebuilding of the Temple, which lay in ruins for years. They returned their attention to the LORD and His will.

Let us consider that perhaps this year now passing is something that God is using to once again refocus our attention. The stock market has been soaring. The employment rates had been the best they’ve been in our memories. The Middle East was and still is marching towards historic peace. Please don’t misunderstand me: all of these are good, blessings from our gracious God!

But has our attendance on these issues distracted us from or lessened our resolve to value all life, from conception to natural death? Has the enjoyment of the relative ease of life numbed us to the coarsening of and, in some cases violence in, our common life together?

Let me close with some slightly altered words from the Society of G. K. Chesterton about God working through things that turn our lives upside down. My wife, Jami, had recently shared them on Facebook, as well:

Chesterton said that many things are made holy by being turned upside down. Was there a moment (or many!) in your life in which God turned it completely upside down to increase your holiness and faith? Often in those instances, we fail to realize the value in our situation as it undergoes change. Most of us hate change. We just want to remain comfortable, to have things the way they always were. How did God use those upside down moments to change your life for the better? How did you grow in virtue and holiness? Take a few minutes to think about those times and thank God for changing your life and bringing you closer to Him through them.

Lord Jesus, thank you for turning my life upside down to draw me closer to you. Help me in those future moments when you change my life for the better, even though I may not understand. May I always remember to cling to the [example of Mary], whose life was turned upside down when she bravely said “yes,” to you. Give me strength like [Joseph] to be trusting, wise, prudent, and faithful in those blinding times of uncertainty when I just don’t understand. Help me to always want what you want for me. Amen.