Jim Langley: Understanding Life's Little Lamentations | Homes & Lifestyle - Noozhawk

Posted: 31 Aug 2019 10:30 AM PDT

By Jim Langley | August 31, 2019 | 10:30 a.m.

Life is not easy. Many believe wealth is the ultimate answer but all the financial resources in the world will not give you peace if you or a loved one has serious health issues.

Life's little lamentations (best described as passionate expressions of grief or sorrow) are prevalent in all our lives. They may not be noticeable to everyone, but we are all faced with legitimate concerns for things that are out of our control.

In my personal and business dealings, I've come to conclude that life can be quite difficult. When someone casually tells me everything is just fine, I find myself questioning whether they are being truly honest in their response.

The prophet Jeremiah certainly lamented his concerns for Jerusalem as chronicled in his short account entitled Lamentations. As followers of Christ we need to lament for the condition of the Church, its people and society in general.

In our local church family we've become very good at sharing our praises, our woes and our challenges within our body of believers. Through our dialogue and conversations it's quite apparent that we all have legitimate lamentations.

There's a spiritual battle being waged against the Church as the Deceiver attempts to keep us from being effective for the cause of the Gospel message. Prayer is an integral part of our strategy to combat the Enemy who wants to dilute and destroy the work of Christ.

In two separate Gospel accounts, we read the nearly identical words spoken by Jesus as He laments over His people and their condition.

In Matthew 23:37-39 and Luke13:34-35, He proclaims, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. (For) I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'"

What we have difficulty in realizing is our similarity to Jerusalem. We so easily get caught up in our own circumstances that we miss the spiritual warfare going on all around us.

There's a spiritual battle for the souls of those who have not yet come to Christ and they are sinking deeper into despair every day in our midst. If we're not careful, even some in the Body of Christ will become MIAs (Missing in Action) and ineffective for the work at hand as they wallow in their circumstances.

We need to come alongside those and encourage them to draw near to God and to each other. We need to help them put on the full armor of God.

In Ephesians 6:13, the Apostle Paul instructs, "Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand."

We must stand firm since evil is all around us these days. If we stand beside them in battle and help them see how the Enemy is hindering their walk, many can be salvaged and once again be used by the Lord for His glory.

By chance you are one of those lamenting alone, I encourage you to find a Bible teaching and preaching church where you sense the love of God permeating those in attendance. Join their fellowship and let them know your need for encouragement and support. I trust they will hear your cry and come alongside in short order.

Over the past 30-plus years, I've found renewed strength from my involvement in Christian Business Men's Connection, or CBMC, as we meet weekly to honor our Savior and Lord! These men have held me accountable and pray for me daily as we all serve our Risen Savior.

The battle is the Lord's and we are a critical part of His army while still in this world and eventually in Heaven.

Passages to Ponder

» Lamentations 3:22-24

» Romans 1:11

— Jim Langley has been writing for more than 30 years while working as a life and health insurance agent in Santa Barbara. In recent years, his passion has turned to writing about his personal relationship with God, and his goal is to encourage others to draw near to Him as well. As a longtime member of CBMC of Santa Barbara (Christian Business Men's Connection), he started writing Fourth Quarter Strategies columns in 2014, and he now reaches an international audience through the CBMC International devotional Monday Manna. He can be contacted at [email protected] for more information. Click here for previous columns. The opinions expressed are his own.

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