As we celebrate Easter this weekend, it is about much more than the bunny and the eggs. Just as we remind folks to remember the reason for the season at Christmas, we need to do that for Easter. Many of our churches have cast aside the hymns in favor of repetitions that we call “praise and worship.” These just don’t have the inspiration for life that the hymns have. One of the Easter hymns is “Because He Lives.” Some of these lyrics are needed very much in our world today – especially with the chorus.
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!
How many of us get anxious about everyday things in life and even dread what will happen tomorrow? Commission of suicide has risen and more people are taking some kind of medication to live with depression or anxiety. PTSD has even grown to be a common diagnosis for many, especially those in the military.
The Bible has many verses where Jesus tells us not to be afraid and that He “has us covered.” Yet, the attitude that the sky is falling seems to be strong even among regular church-goers. I have often heard that fear is the opposite of faith. Abraham Lincoln is credited for saying that “Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be.” His life consistently showed his tendency to live in faith versus fear.
Life is worth living because Jesus was not just a good man but was resurrected from the grave, defeating the ultimate life-blow of death. If we accept His gift of eternal life, we have true living here on the earth as well. We do more than just take up space.
