Oh, how a week can change.

Wow. What a week. A week ago today, I was really happy. I had a new friend come visit me at church. Later in the day, got a phone call from the same friend while at lunch with the fam. Hung out that night. Now a week later, I have been told not to even talk to this new friend. Life is like that. You get ups and downs. You get (what feels to you at least) good times and bad. What is totally awesome one day is the very thing that makes you depressed the next. Your best friend becomes a complete stranger.

This reminds me of a week in the life of my Savior. Read Matthew 21. Jesus enters Jerusalem triumphantly. HOSANNA IN THE HIGHEST!!! BLESS THE NAME OF GOD AND THE ONE WHO COMES IN HIS NAME!!! That sounds mighty different from what was being screamed less than a week later. Read Matthew 27. CRUCIFY HIM!!! LET HIS DEATH BE ON OUR HEADS!!! One day, Jesus is the hero of the people. In a matter of days the same people want Him dead.

"When the world hates you, remember it hated me before it hated you." Jesus said this in John 15:18. You know what? Sometimes life is tough and brutal. This is exactly how I feel. This is how I want to feel. This is the self-righteous answer.

But sometimes it is exactly what is needed! We can look at this week in the life of Christ and be very negative. We can wish things would have been different. But this would be the wrong application. Jesus had to die. This week had to happen for Him. "For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45). The purpose for God to put on flesh was for Him to save sinners. This week was exactly what the doctor ordered (Mark 2:17).

So, what about my life? Should I be negative? Should I seek to find out how right I am, and how wrong others are? Should I lay awake at night thinking badly of people who I still consider very good friends? Or should I seek the will of God and see how this is exactly what His will is? We love to pat ourselves on the back and say, "See! I did everything right this time." Yet, we don't pause and look at the situation well enough to let the darkness shine through. God is light. His word is light (Psalm 119:105).

Lets look how Jesus' week ended. Matthew 28 shows us the end of the week. Jesus lives! My week may last a lot longer than 7 days, but God is in control. I have already handled things poorly. I could continue that streak, or I could allow my life to be molded by the master potter (Jer. 18:6).

God, please help me as I continue to grow. I know I make mistakes, and I know I misuse that blessing that you give to me. I repent of that, and I pray that I will give up myself and allow myself to be filled with you. Thank you for putting friends in my life that are big enough to listen to your voice. I would have continued down a path headed to destruction. I may not react the right way, but I am glad you get to me eventually and don't just give up on me. Even if I shout, scream, cry, or beg - please continue to use me as you see fit. And please mold me into the man that is a true friend, not just a user friend. Amen.