Life as most of us will know it is a roller coaster of ups and downs, turns and curves, hops and drops, and above all else, the occasional bug in your mouth. It seems to be one spinning wheel of amazing fun where in one moment you can be nervous or anxious about what is to come, you drop and find that exhilarating feeling of falling, taking corners too fast, grabbing a few pictures, at times doubting if you are going to make it out alive and finally at one moment or another being a little sick to your stomach because a $7 cheeseburger does not want to stay down due to you only waiting for 10 minutes before going on another ride. It is the most wild ride you will ever experience.
Life in my family has been this way as of late. It seems like the entirety of the roller coaster ride I could give you a perfect analogy or simile in my most recent four months. Anxious for the move, the thrill of driving out and getting settled in, taking some corners too fast, hoping to find a destination sooner rather than later, and all of the time arriving safely at the stop wanting to go on the ride again. Even finding a job has been a similar experience. Here is what I have found out… roller coasters are fun!
I imagine there are some pretty significant moments in your life where you have felt these types of roller coaster effects. I would love to consider John the Baptist. John was the cousin of Jesus and though he was not raised Baptist, he was a person that baptized believers in the name of Jesus. He was sent to the earth 6 months prior to Jesus to prepare the way. So naturally John was probably one of those dudes that loved Jesus and talked about the coming Messiah everywhere he went. John found himself imprisoned by Herod. It was in that prison he began to doubt who Jesus was. The roller coaster of life will do that to a man. Recorded in the book of Matthew chapter 11, John sends two disciples to ask Jesus a very simple question with profound implications. The question was this: “Are you the guy, or not”. Granted, this is not a direct quote from what you will find in Scripture, but here is the question most of us are probably asking at one point or another usually on the lowest part of our lives or the craziest twist of the roller coaster. Jesus, are you the guy or not?
The beautiful part is that Jesus does not get mad at the question. READ THE STORY! Jesus accepts the question and says, “go back and let him know what you are seeing and hearing. Blind men see, lame men walk.” Let me paint John a picture for you, Jesus is saying, I want you to believe in me because of what is real, not because of what I have told you.
A simple yes would have sufficed, but I think Jesus knew that John needed more than a yes. All the while, Jesus never was angry. On the contrary, when the roller coaster of life had taken John to a place of doubt, Jesus exhorted John publicly. He says one of the most amazing encouragements of anyone’s life time. Jesus says, “of those born of women”, which last I checked is pretty much everyone, “there is none greater than John the Baptist”. WOW!
So this is what I have learned through my roller coaster. It is okay to ask Jesus if He is who He says he is. It is okay, when you are in the middle of the roller coaster of life and you are wondering if you are going to even make it out alive, to feel that doubt setting in. I will say this though in closing. When you have experienced as many roller coasters as you have, there is no need to doubt long. Because you have seen God move through them and if not, you have no doubt heard God move through them. Do not be afraid of asking Jesus if He is who He says He is. He can handle it.
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Food for thought: Are you on a roller coaster right now in your life? What are the parts that are making you doubt?
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