The “cush” life… who doesn’t want the cush life, am I right? We want “the stars to align” just right so that our bodies are in the best shape possible, our mind is in constant serenity, no sickness, no injuries, we have that fab job, awesome house, fancy car, perfect children, on and on and on… but we want it without the time or work it takes to actually achieve those things. We can get indignant with the time and work it’s taking! “OMG, I have told them 5,000 times today to not throw their toys!” Or “OMG! I have been eating healthy all month, no cheating! And I GAINED a pound!!” Or maybe it’s just me? Am I the only one who gets frustrated when I don’t see the progress after working out for weeks on weeks? Or that my husband can sit there and eat Oreo Milkshakes from Chick Fil A, Reese’s, Skittles, Hershey’s and somehow not seem to gain any weight – but I even look at a Reese’s and five pounds hit my hips! Am I the only one who gets annoyed when my throat is sore for more than a day, two max – I’ve got things to do! I don’t have time to deal with a sore throat!!

A lot of people think that the cush life is the sort of life you obtain when you become a follower of Jesus. Everything is now perfect! We say, alright Jesus, I believe in you, I am rubbing your lamp so now give me my three wishes!!! But, when that doesn’t happen, – and spoiler alert… life often gets harder as you follow Jesus, don’t check out though, we talk about that – so, when the cush life doesn’t happen we start to waiver in our faith. We start thinking this whole following Jesus gig isn’t worth it. We think “My life isn’t perfect, so what’s the point?”. Or even worse, “Jesus is out to get me!” And/or “Maybe God isn’t good?”.

Ok, follow me here… Jesus was hated, to the point of being almost beaten to death and then He was murdered on a cross, yes, murdered because He was an innocent man. Death on a cross was the most shameful and excruciating way to die that the Romans used to make an example of their power. I imagine it would scare people in to submission. BUT, listen, as if that isn’t bad enough, people were getting satisfaction and smiling watching this innocent man be maliciously beaten, His flesh being torn from His body exposing His muscle, tissue, and bones…and the people wanted more!! They weren’t satisfied until He hung on the cross and breathed His last breath! And once it was done, they still weren’t satisfied because people were talking about Him. Isn’t that so like us? We have our eye on something that we think will satisfy us, we get it, and then somehow that satisfaction isn’t met. So we look for the next thing and on and on we go.

I think of the Shannan Watts case… People are appalled, rightfully so, that Chris Watts murdered his wife, two little girls, and unborn child (Shannan was pregnant). Chris Watts was sentenced to multiple life sentences, and one of those convictions was for his unborn son. How do you get a life sentence for murdering your unborn son in this case, but it is legal for a mother to do the same exact thing as long as she goes to a dr to have it done? In both cases, it’s a choice! Chris Watts chose to kill his family and unborn son, a mother chooses abortion, the death of her baby still in her womb. Do you see the contradiction here? Families sell their children for slave labor and/or sex trafficking. People deceive and abduct people looking for honest work and force them into slavery – again labor, sex, etc…People rape, beat, and then force abortions on young girls. People neglect and/or abuse their children. Honestly, we could be here all day adding to this list… But do you see what I am saying? This is the evil we are capable of.

We have an insane amount of evil in our hearts, all of us… you may be sitting here reading this and getting mad at me saying, “I would never murder someone”… but Jesus relates anger in your heart towards someone to murder (Matthew 5:22). You see, for Jesus, everything is a heart issue. He’s not working on your circumstances so you can sit back and throw your feet up. He’s working on your circumstances to give you a new heart and to help you look like and make choices more like Him. Not because He’s conceited, but because He knows that’s the best life possible for you and He wants you to love others the way He does. He loves without evil in His heart. He deeply, passionately, incomprehensibly loves people!

Here is where my aforementioned Genie scenario comes in to play… the more you look like Him, the more you are going to be hated by the evil in this world that is trying to survive. The “cush” life doesn’t come in this world, because evil hasn’t been taken care of once and for all…yet…

Jesus promises evil will be dealt with once and for all and when that happens, our idea of “cush” won’t even be a sprinkle on our ice cream Sunday, or a Reese’s pieces in your peanut butter cup, or the icing on your red velvet cheesecake from Cheesecake Factory (yum, I’m salivating)… You see, the awesomeness that is Heaven is hard to grasp. The awesomeness of God’s original design and intentions for humanity is truly incomprehensible. Which I feel makes it hard, as adults, to really keep Heaven in focus.

As adults we start using our fallible logic, experiences, and/or hurt caused by fallible broken people and it causes us to question all the amazing things of Heaven. We ponder if it is just a cruel lie. I believe that’s why Jesus tells us we need to have childlike faith. We can’t let our experiences, our suffering, hurtful people, _______ (enter your own hurt/experience on the line) shadow the truth of Heaven and who Jesus is. We have to believe, beyond all logic and reasoning, what Jesus says about Himself and what He has revealed about Heaven. And what He doesn’t say about Heaven we trust that He knows better than we do.

Here’s an analogy that helps me put this idea in to perspective. Try to explain Disney World to a child that has never been there – every aspect of it. You’ll find they’re unable to comprehend it all. You know they aren’t comprehending the greatness of what they’re about to experience. No matter how well you explain, your excitement, or even showing them pictures and video on your tablet…You know there is so much more grand, indescribable greatness they aren’t grasping or able to grasp until they see it in person. That’s like Heaven. Jesus gave us a description of Heaven that we can sort of comprehend now, but the reality is there is so much more to Heaven that we won’t grasp until we get there. Our minds just can’t handle and comprehend all of the details God has thought of… our minds would literally be blown!

All this to say, suffering sucks, and that is putting it lightly, too lightly… Suffering can rot you from the inside out IF you have no hope. True hope. The hope that Jesus will come back, He’s sitting on the edge of His throne at the right hand of God, ready to take vengeance on the evil of this world and bring His good and faithful servants home with Him. One day this greatness will come. One day, if you believe in Jesus as your Savior, you will be in Heaven and I believe Jesus will finally give us eyes to see and a mind to comprehend the full picture. Following Jesus won’t be a cush life on earth, but if you are rooted in Jesus, you can get through your suffering and you can come alongside others to help them through their sufferings, too. That’s why you’re here. It’s your purpose. To lead others to the Hope of Jesus Christ and to mourn with them, rejoice with them, just be in the mess of life with them. Then, one day, Heaven will come and we won’t suffer any more!

Don’t give up, there is Hope! His name is Jesus! He wants to walk with you and hold your right hand through the mess of this world. Will you let Him?