Being Green

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.  Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  Romans 5:1-4

I was a Sesame Street kid (probably still am).  My mother made sure that what little television I saw was of that show.  One of my favorite lifelong lessons came from it and one of its main characters, Kermit the Frog.  When he was in a solemn mood, he would sing, “It’s not easy being green.”  Now many of us growing up thought it would be pretty cool to be a frog and maybe even green, but as I grew older, I understood the song was not about disdain for his color or being a frog.  It was about how his loving and caring personality often gets taken advantage of because either he was too nice or it seemed too convenient.  He did not shy away from being who he was.  After all, he’s a frog, and yes, he is green.  There is a lot to be said for someone who accepts the challenges that come with who they are and willingly embraces everything with it. 

A growing Christian faith is not always meant to be easy or comforting.  It is meant to be rewarding with the hope of God’s glory being revealed in one’s life.  While there are times our walk of faith will be fun, there are times God will ask of us to walk through something we do not want to face.  There are conflicts that I do not want to face, and sometimes, I run away because the pain or stress is too much!  Yet, God would look upon me, and nudge to tell me not to not give up and continue to fight knowing there is perseverance, character, and hope to be gained.  Our goal as Christians is not to fall into the comfort of a simplified faith.  It is instead to challenge ourselves, face our fears, and find true glory in our suffering for a wonderful and gracious God.

Our journey of faith is about persevering to the end.  No, it is not easy, but Dr. Brene Brown said it best saying, “You can choose courage or you can choose comfort.  You cannot have both.”  When we have shown courage to overcome fears, we will hear the verses of 2 Timothy 4:7 saying, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”  Isn’t that what we should all aspire for?  What suffering must you persevere through today?  My prayer is that with our faith, we all can accept ‘being green.’  Amen.