Through the Lens of Reality
- The Narrow Path
- Jun 24, 2022
- 3 min read
I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world (John 16:33, NIV).
One of my favorite things to do after a long week of work is settle in my chair with a snack and my heating pad and flip on a cheesy Hallmark movie. What some people hate about those movies is what I love most—their predictability. My job requires a lot of focus, critical thinking, communication, and constant interaction with others. When that Hallmark movie comes on, I am quickly transported to a place of mindless relaxation.
Cape Cod. Small town Alabama. A beach house on the coast of California. A horse ranch in Montana. The backdrop for these movies is always so picturesque, either in landscape or the quaintness of the small town.
Boy meets girl. Boy and girl fall in love. Somebody gets caught in a lie, leading one of them to take the new, big-city job, and they’re both leaving love behind forever. Light is shed on the subject of the lie, and the truth is finally revealed. Boy and girl express their love, finally kiss, and live happily ever after.
The number of Hallmark movies I’ve watched, especially since the start of COVID, is innumerable. Admittedly, I’ve even watched some of my favorites more than once. While the setting and storyline have provided entertainment and escape from the realities of everyday life, I have to be careful not to allow the movies to affect my view of reality.
Life doesn’t always look like a Hallmark movie (or what we see depicted on social media). I am single and desire to be married and have a family someday. At times, I find myself wanting to be one of those women on the screen of a Hallmark movie who meets a handsome man who is kind, successful, and falls in love with me. While I do desire all of those things, I have to occasionally push pause and remind myself to look at life through the lens of reality.
Life is hard. Life is messy. Sometimes, it is full of successes and celebrations. Other times, we find ourselves in the middle of a sequence of failures that have left us feeling like we’re hanging on by a thread. It’s never one or the other; it’s always both. John 16:33 reminds us of Jesus’ words when he said: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
This verse reminds me of three important truths when it comes to my view of reality:
We will face hardship in this life
God has overcome the world
It is in Him that we may have peace
I am thankful every day for the truth contained within the Word of God and the fact that it far outweighs anything I see or read on a screen. It is the foundational truth upon which I live my life. Though I am grateful for Hallmark movies, I am reminded today of the importance of spending time in the Word.
When I commit to spending time with Jesus daily, I am reminded to look at life through the lens of this reality: Jesus died for my sins. He chose to take that sacrifice upon Himself on the cross, and when I committed to a personal relationship with Jesus, I was promised eternity in Heaven. Romans 10:9 tells us that the same promise is available for every single one of His children: “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
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