“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33, NASB)
I had the privilege of interviewing a friend of mine, Ralph Stokes, during our online Atlanta Country Club Links Fellowship this past week on the conversation of racial injustice in America. Of all the people I know, I believed Ralph to be the perfect person to offer genuine insight accompanied with godly wisdom.
Mr. Stokes grew up in Montgomery, Alabama, during the height of the Civil Rights Movement. During high school, he was part of the desegregation process through a school integration program. There, Ralph was an All-American running back, and he became one of the first black football recruits of famed coach Paul “Bear” Bryant at the University of Alabama. After winning an NCAA National Championship in college, Stokes then pioneered his way to business success in group insurance sales by overcoming tremendous challenges in a very racist South. With discipline and determination, he climbed his way to senior vice president of sales for one of the nation’s largest health care insurance companies. He is now an executive with PGA Tour Superstores and a great ambassador for the game of golf in many capacities.
I met Ralph shortly after he became Atlanta Country Club’s first African American member. We played in the same game on the weekends and were paired together often. You can probably see why I have such admiration for Ralph’s character, built by his perseverance through life’s many challenges. I knew I could trust him to offer great insight to the events that have transpired recently in our country that have reminded us of the racism and injustices that many people, particularly black men, continue to face on a regular basis in our country.
This is the time to take to heart and learn to put into practice what it means to bear one another’s burdens.As I began my interview of Ralph, I asked him how the recent events, particularly George Floyd’s death, impacted him personally. His honesty was refreshing, yet difficult to hear from a friend. He said, “Of course I have felt the typical emotions that you would expect—anger, disappointment, [frustration], but above all, if I am truly honest, I am tired.” He expounded on his answer; and though I will never know what it is like to walk in the shoes of a black man in America, my heart understood exactly what Ralph was feeling.
His spirit is fatigued. He is tired of the pain caused by evil in this world. He and millions of other people of color deal with pains that I will never. Yet we all know pain. And pain, whether it is physical or emotional, is tiring. Nobody can understand or care for your pain like Jesus. We find his soothing words in the following verses, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).
There are times, especially like the ones we are experiencing now, where uplifting verses of scripture may not be immediately empowering to even the most faithful believer. That is where we, the body of Christ, must take action. We must “bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). We are all fatigued right now from COVID-19, political banter, and tragic stories of injustice; this is the time to take to heart and learn to put into practice what it means to bear one another’s burdens.
I pray that you find rest in the Lord when you are fatigued and support others in theirs. After all, there is nothing we cannot overcome with the help of the Holy Spirit and a few good friends.
—
Josh Nelson
June 15, 2020
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The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.
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