Tension is part of our life. Tension if not confronted and dealt with will wear your out. If you are a believer, you have tension between right and wrong, good and bad. If you are a believer, you have tension between the flesh and the Spirit.
For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit,
and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh,
for these are opposed to each other,
to keep you from doing the things you want to do.
(Gal. 5:17)
Let’s look at the life of Job. in the first couple of chapters, he loses his wealth, his children and his health.
His wife’s advice: “Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.” (2:9)
Job’s lament: ”After this Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.” (3:1)
What I find interesting is the word “hope” is used 19 times in 18 verses. Hope is used in both a positive sense and also in a sort of mocking sort of way.
The tension of Job’s life is between
hope and surrender –
belief and doubt –
staying and leaving –
trust and anger –
truth and feelings –
living and dying.
Hope & Surrender
- Hope – patient endurance with great expectation.
- Surrender – declaring defeat
Belief & Doubt
- Belief – holding on to faith.
- Doubt – second guessing everything.
Staying & Leaving
- Staying – remaining spiritually grounded.
- Leaving – looking for something else.
Trust & Anger
- Trust – resting in God’s hand.
- Anger – running from God’s presence.
Truth & Feelings
- Truth – what has God promised?
- Feelings – emotional responses.
Living & Dying
- Living – continuing to get up everyday and being who and where God wants you to be.
- Dying – removing yourself from God’s purpose.
I call heaven and earth to witness against you today,
that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse.
Therefore choose life,
that you and your offspring may live,
(Deut 30:19)
Dan Williams 