We’ve all heard a lot of bad news in the last year.
From increased restrictions on gatherings, political conflict and violence, to various personal disappointments, it all adds up to a tantalizing recipe for discouragement.
The more bad news we hear, the more tempting it is to keep listening, just in case it gets better. And the longer we keep listening, the more prone we become to fear and anxiety.
As our world continues to dish out bowls of bad news, we Christians should instead be vigorously pursuing the good news.
What’s the Good News?
It’s the gospel. Gospel means “good news.” It’s the good news that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners.
For those of us who grew up in the church or have been Christians for a while, it’s easy to begin thinking that the gospel is no longer relevant for us, that we can now move on to other truths. However, the good news of the gospel never ceases to be good news for the Christian. The most mature Christian never moves on from it.
It is the gospel that gives us daily access to God’s Throne of Grace, that sets us free from the power of sin, and the fear of death, that upholds our claim to authority over the enemy. It is the gospel that gives us hope for the future, peace that passes understanding, joy in the midst of pain and loss.
Do you need any of those things right now? If so, you need the gospel. It’s the good news we are looking for.
A Vigorous Pursuit
The gospel is good news for everyone. However, if we don’t know what Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection purchased for us as Christians, the good news does us no good. In order for it to affect our lives, we need to hear the full gospel, believe it, and act upon it.
Mainstream media is not proclaiming gospel truth. In a time when bad and false news is literally blaring at us from all directions, we need to vigorously pursue the good news of the gospel if we want to know it. And friends, we need to know it. The gospel of Jesus is life!
I’m not talking about working to obtain salvation or doing things for God so that He will give us joy or peace. I’m talking about making a decisive effort to get into the word of God and know what it says. I’m talking about no longer being passive in our relationship with Christ.
If we remain unintentional, God’s powerful good news will sit on our nightstand in-between leather binding on crisp pages, and never get into our hearts and minds to transform our lives.
In this time where there is so much chaos, confusion, and twisted information, we need God’s truth in our hearts and minds, not just in our Bibles.
So here are two steps to begin vigorously pursuing the Good News.
First, turn down the bad news.
Staying informed on what is happening in the world is not bad. I personally think it’s wise to have a basic understanding of what is going on. The trouble comes when we are bombarded with bad news all day long.
It’s dominating our conversations with friends, family, and co-workers. It’s filling our social media feeds. Every store window is plastered in posters reminding us of the bad news we should know. And it’s too much.
Friends, how can we expect to have perfect peace and keep our minds stayed on Christ when we only spend ten minutes listening to His good news each day compared to 16 hours listening to the world’s bad news?
Can I encourage you to prayerfully evaluate the people you follow on social media and the news outlets you listen too? Prayerfully consider how much time you spend listening to them. Consider unfollowing, deleting, turning off, and turning away.
Second, turn up the good news.
As you turn down your consumption of the world’s news, begin spending that time with Jesus, meditating on His gospel. Instead of turning on the radio, try listening to an audio Bible. Instead of reading all the comments on that Facebook post, try turning off your phone and opening your Bible.
If you don’t already have a habit of spending time in God’s word daily, start there. We have a ton of great resources to help you get started spending time daily with Jesus on this blog.
I also shared some other creative ways I meditate on scripture during the day in this post.
Conclusion
The information we fill our minds with matters. Scripture tells us, “Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things.” (Phil 4:8)
I haven’t heard a lot of noble, pure, lovely, praiseworthy things in mainstream media over the last year. But you know where I have heard an overwhelming amount of truth, justice, and goodness? The Word of God.
The future may hold many unknowns. No matter what it brings, there is one place we can always turn for truth, peace, hope, joy, strength, and wisdom. The gospel of Jesus Christ.
Let us be people who, though we live in a world filled with bad news, walk triumphantly and peacefully because our minds are filled with the words of the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.