Ancient Manuscript: Gospel of Thomas
Saying: 17
My Reflection on Verse:
The gift of Everlasting
Life is so hard for many of us to understand.
Many suffer from illnesses. Many
suffer from guilt. Many suffer with a
lack of self-confidence. We can feel
these things. Yet, how can we feel
Everlasting Life.
The Gift of Eternal
Peace is very difficult for many of us to comprehend. Many suffer from rejection. Many suffer because of stress. Many suffer from the lack of
necessities. We can see these
difficulties. Yet, how can they see
peace.
The gift of Everlasting
Life and Eternal Peace are things that we will truly never feel, see or touch
while we are on this Earth. Our day to
day struggles will still surface. Our
pains will never fully disappear. The
gift that we receive will not be here on this Earth. Our gifts will come when we leave this Earth trusting
and believing in God.
As someone that suffers
from several debilitating chronic illnesses I understand where people come
from. There are never days when I feel
whole. There are many days that I do not
want to even want to crawl out of bed.
My recliner, heating pad and medications are my best companions. They help me live what I now call my new
norm. This to anyone else would see as
devastating.
How do we that suffer
from illnesses, stress and life struggles fully understand the Peace that comes
from God? We have to stop and think
about those moments that our life seems calm.
A time that when things are going our way. Then imagine that peace never ending. A peace with no end that takes away all of
your pain and struggles. A peace that
fills your whole soul. A peace that will
never allow the things that you suffer from to return in your life. This is the type of peace that we will have
when we are called home to God. An
Eternal Peace that will never end and will only make us stronger. A peace that will make us forget what we went
through here on earth. A peace that
allows us to always serve God first for we have nothing else standing in our
way.
How do people that
experience death of loved ones, experience illnesses that will one day take
their life accept Everlasting Life? See
what we have to remember that this life is only the beginning. Anyone that accepts Jesus into their life has
a new life to live. There human life may
end but the spiritual life will live forever.
How can we come to accept this through our times of tragedy and
struggle? Think back to the good moments
in your life. Think back to the times
when you were not ill. Think back to the
happy moments that you shared with your loved one. Learn to feel comfort in the gift that is
freely given. We need to remember that
anyone that has accepted Jesus is living in the presence of God. They are no longer sad, they are no longer in
pain, and they are no longer suffering.
Instead they are in a very peaceful place.
Yes, we have to trust
that God will give us these gifts. Yet,
Jesus is clear that we will receive something that we cannot understand. We have to have faith that God will give us
peace and everlasting life as long as we turn ourselves over to the Holy
One.
Imagine what the disciples
felt when Jesus said I am going to give you something that you have never seen
or felt. They had to think that it would
be something that they would receive on this Earth. Yet, overtime they had to accept that through
their faith Jesus was promising the gift to come. Jesus had died on the cross and risen from
the grave. They had seen these things
and then Jesus ascended to Heaven. He
return to Heaven alive.
We need to consider when
we try to understand everlasting life and eternal peace. If you were a disciple and saw the risen lord
ascend in Heaven would you not fully understand what was to come once we died? Jesus lived his life so that we would know
how to treat others. Through his death
he carried our sins if we are willing to turn them over and accept Jesus as our
Savior. He arose from the grave to show
that sin can be killed forever if we accept the gift Jesus is willing to give
each and every one of us. Lastly, the
ascension shows us that we will receive the everlasting gift of life if we
believe in the one that makes us whole.
Questions:
Have you accepted the
gift of everlasting life is free to all?
Do you desire Eternal Peace in your life? Do you understand that God wants to make us
whole as long as we accept the Messiah as our personal Savior? Have you accepted that the gifts that we will
receive are bigger than anything we will ever have here on Earth?
