Habakkuk 3:16-19 I heard and my inward parts trembled, At the sound my lips quivered. Decay enters my bones, And in my place I tremble. Because I must wait quietly for the day of distress, For the people to arise who will invade us. Though the fig tree should not blossom And there be no fruit on the vines, Though the yield of the olive should fail and the fields produce no food, Though the flock should be cut off from the fold and there be no cattle in the stalls, Yet I will exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, And He has made my feet like hinds’ feet, And makes me walk on my high places. For the choir director, on my stringed instruments.
Depending on who you ask, some consider anything out of the ordinary to be chaotic. If their plans get changed due to unforeseen circumstances, it is made out to be the end of the world or no light at the end of the tunnel. There is no doubt that there are moments such as these that occur in our lives that build up and it is very stressful. We all have different “triggers” that affect us differently. We must be careful not to paint with a broad-brush regarding others with their struggles. I can assure you, no matter how many times you tell someone to “get over it”, that is not helpful. Not only is that kind of response not helpful, but it is also one that is not going to further the gospel. Before continuing with this thought, I want to be abundantly clear that we must also be careful in not wallowing in self-pity and despair. Sometimes we do need a healthy dose of “get over it”.
Times of crisis and chaos come in different ways. Often, we can probably look at most of our struggles and see that there is a spiritual battle going on. It does not matter how firm of a foundation we build for ourselves. There are things that will happen that will be completely out of our control. If you are trying to put two pieces of wood together, People will go through great lengths to make sure that they do not come apart. I have seen people use F26 adhesive glue and then use screws to make sure that whatever they were building, did not come apart. I want to caution us into being careful with this type of mentality. We take all necessary precautions of what _WE_ think will work and then everything crumbles apart. The foundation that we build ourselves upon needs to be within the Lord.
1 Corinthians 3:11 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
We need to think of ways to keep our focus on Jesus. Keep our eyes on Jesus during the good times is easy. What about when life becomes hard? Think about the times when your faith is being challenged or threatened. These are the moments where our choices and responses can have a serious impact on our spiritual lives.
1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.
There will be times where the truth hurts. The truth may hurt but it will never harm us. If you are the type of person who still listens to sermons by other preachers during your spare time, I am sure you have seen that many preachers tend to stay away from the “hot topics”. Many avoid unpleasant, unsettling lessons. Which would you prefer?
- Tell someone the truth, the truth causes temporary hurt feelings, they repent and turn to God.
OR
- Tell someone a lie, comfort them with words and teachings that will not draw them closer to God, and they die in their sins?
1 John 5:13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
We should never be ashamed to admit that we are saved. Suppose you are going through a moment of chaos, would your overall outlook change by admitting that you are saved by the grace of God? God’s word tells us that we can be sure of our salvation. If that moment of chaos is only temporary and not as chaotic as we have made it out to be, then when we remind ourselves that we are saved by God, then we have reprioritized ourselves in that very moment. The burden should be lifted at least momentarily. If we live with assurance that God will save us, then no matter what stands before you, you know that you will come out victorious!
Mark 16:15-16 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
Let’s remind ourselves of our mission. If we are constantly giving ourselves self-inflicted wounds by means of poor choices or bad decisions; how can we help those who are being wounded by Satan? Did any of you ever have someone tell you to “calm down” when you were extremely upset? It can be difficult to think clearly when we are upset. The next time someone is encouraging you to calm down, take them up on it! Calm down and remind yourself that the Lord has saved you. Think about the blessing that we have in being able to go to God in prayer. If we constantly remind ourselves of the tools that God has given us and utilize them within our lives; think about the difference we can make in the lives of others just by remaining calm within our own storms?
-Lee Elkins
