Sometimes I think about the current situation of this country and world regarding the toll of this virus both physically and mentally, the extreme political divide that is ripping friendships and people apart, and the downright evil that I see taking place at my work, and it all can quickly become overwhelming. But I am finding in my life, that in these times of uncertainty, I am clinging to the promises of God much more than ever before. What I mean by this is, sometimes it takes a struggle or bump in the road if you will, in order to create a deeper longing or need for a Savior; at least this has been true for me.
So it is in these times of great divide and fear, the promises of God keep me going. What an amazing assurance it is to know this world is not my home, and one day I will be Home in Heaven: rid of all sickness, anger, and fear. “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him”. (1 Corinthians 2:9)
I’ve recently noticed a “buzz” or perpetual humming of fear in people when I interact with them at work, of which I am guilty of feeling at times as well. The common denominator in all the situations is our lack of ability to control what is taking place in the world. This inability to control the situation then manifests itself in fear and acts of anger, harm of oneself, or another. I do not want to speak definitively for other people, but I will explain my hypothesis for why I feel this is happening in others, and why I have been guilty of feeling anxious about all that’s happening at times as well; We (myself included), have failed to remember God is in control and He has already WON THE BATTLE.
If I could work and live day-by-day with a mindset of the Truth that is, “God has already won”, I would not be worried about the future. What a comforting feeling it is to know no matter what takes place, I will be okay. No matter what life hits me with or takes away from me, I WILL BE OKAY. “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” (Matthew 6:26-27).
And here is my hypothesis as to what might happen if we all lived in that Trust and Assurance of God’s promises: the fear, anger, hurting, and sin would begin to cease, and a trust and love for God and one-another would begin to take over! But here is the kicker, or the crux if you will, God does not say everyone will experience this peace without a bit of sacrifice on our ends. We must, “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33). Do you see the key word in this? Seek FIRST his kingdom… The way I see this is, God knows He is who we must go to first each day in order to give us the right mindset, a mindset of trust and love.
What I have seen in my own life as I have begun to cling more closely to these promises of God, I have more peace in my life. I have more trust in my life. I have more excitement of eternity one day with Him. My problems begin to diminish, and the humming of fear in my life begins to subside.
Now you might be thinking, “I don’t know God”, or maybe, “I have done so much wrong, God doesn’t want a relationship with me”. Or possibly even, “I’m just not sure about all of this God stuff”. I’ll say this, it is okay to have those thoughts, and there is nothing you could do or have ever done that is beyond the love and forgiveness that in Jesus Christ. You are not too late, and you are not “too bad”. You are chosen by Him, and He deeply desires a relationship with you. He offers “peace that surpasses all understanding”. My prayer for those who do have a relationship with God is, you cling to His promises in this time and seek Him first each day. And my prayer for those who might be feeling any one of the above listed thoughts of doubt is, seek God. Ask Him the tough questions you have. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you. Wrestle with Him if you will. He is waiting. Just please do not read this and turn away. Watch and wait to see how He answers you. Watch as He begins to intervene.
Will all your problems disappear? No. Will this virus immediately leave those you love who may be sick from it? Possibly, but maybe not. Will all the political divide and hate diminish? I wish, but no. But here is His promise to you, “…He will never leave you, nor forsake you”. (Deuteronomy 31:6) The God of the universe wants to go through these problems and trials with you. He cares so much about what you’re going through that He gave His one and only son to die a sinners death on cross that He did not deserve in order to give you freedom from life’s problems and pains, because He loves you tremendously. The best part is, He offers this relationship with you, freely. It requires no “getting my life back together” or trying harder. All it requires is admitting you have messed up and are not perfect. Good news, none of us are! And then it requires a simple acceptance of Him in your life.
I hope what God has been placing on my heart can encourage you. I hope you wrestle with God as I have. And I look forward to seeing how God intervenes and begins to instill within you peace as He has given me in these times of questioning and anxiety. Oh, what a friend we have in Jesus!
No comments:
Post a Comment