I confess, I am one of those people who loves logic puzzles. I think it goes back to my childhood when my father would use them to get me to go to sleep, or to be quiet in the car. He would say, “Charlie, I will give you 50 cents if you can answer this,” and then there would be some mental puzzle about two trains leaving different cities at different speeds with the question of when they would pass each other. I found this an interesting way to make money and would work hard to get the right answer, however, I would often fall asleep as I thought about it on my bed, and it certainly kept me quiet on long rides.

I know not everyone enjoys these puzzles, and for good reason, finding solutions can be more work than fun and it can take a considerable amount of time. But there are other problems that demand a solution. Situations and issues in our lives that are not puzzles or games, but real concerns that need real answers. These problems can be deeply personal, affecting our lives and the lives of those we love. They can also be profoundly systemic, rooted in the structures of our culture. Either way, there are issues, serious issues, that need a solution.

At the root of all this brokenness is the impact of sin on our lives and on the world. We live as people who experience the deep pain of broken relationships with God and with one another. We see all too often the results of evil in the world as gunmen enter schools and injure students and teachers; as people are persecuted for their race or beliefs; as nations war against one another. There is no doubt that we live in a broken and hurting world that desperately needs an answer to sin’s grip and influence.

Praise God, there is an answer and His name is Jesus. His death and resurrection make all the difference in, and to, the world. This is what we celebrate in the Easter season. Easter is God’s answer to the problem of sin and death. Through the power of the resurrection, God declares, “sin shall not have dominion over you.” There truly is victory in Jesus. We may not see the fullness of God’s redemption, but the doorway is open to a transformed live, and the power of the Holy Spirit is present to enable us to live a life of victory.

Each of us has the power of God, the power of the resurrection, in us to overcome the power of sin and death in our lives. As we yield our lives to God, and to His purposes for us, we reap a harvest of victory, and as we move further in the Spirit’s leading, we begin to see that God is using us to impact the lives of others as well. Our faithfulness, linked to the victory and power of Christ Himself, brings forth the biblical promise of, “ever increasing glory.” The Word of God tells us that, “of His kingdom there shall be no end.” When we walk in obedience, when we walk in victory, we begin to see God’s answer for a broken and hurting world revealed, and the transforming, redeeming power of the resurrection begins to flow even into the darkest and driest places.

We may be approaching the end of August, but it is still the perfect time to let the reality of Easter come forth in our lives. We are not bound by the season, but every day is Easter day for us, and we should share its liberation with the world.