Finding Calm in the Chaos
From the moment he shouted the words, he regretted their absurdity.
It had been a bad day—a very bad day. A thankless job, leaky faucets, and traffic citation kind of day. A why-did-I-ever-get out of bed day.
Adding insult to injury, he was wearing his last resort, worn-out socks, and they had once again slumped to his heel. Exasperated, the man yanked the limp cotton stockings back to their proper position. Then, with unbridled passion, he bellowed his rage to the world.
“These SOCKS are RUINING my LIFE!”
When We Reach the End of Our Rope
We’ve all been there, right? That moment of frustration, hopelessness, bitterness, and utter done-ness when we reach the end of our rope.
Occasionally, in hindsight, we recognize those problems were as piddly as slouching socks. Other times, the obstacles, setbacks and situations remain justifiably deflating.
Take, for instance, our politically divisive, economically unstable, war-torn and disaster-ridden global climate. Just five minutes of watching the news could make anyone crumble in defeat!
When all hope is gone, when everything seems lost, of this we can be sure: God is faithful.
God is good. (1 Chronicles 16:34)
He cannot be shaken. (Isaiah 54:10)
He never grows tired or weary. (Isaiah 40:10)
God is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. (Revelation 1:8)
His promises never fail. (Joshua 21:45)
The Not-So-Secret Solution
Considering these truths, how, then, shall we respond?
In the words of the Apostle Paul – who faced more than a few bad days himself – “we do not lose heart…We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (See 2 Corinthians 4:16-18.)
This is the not-so-secret solution to finding peace: fixing our eyes on Him.
God is not surprised by our circumstances, nor is He derailed by whatever challenges we might face. No election, recession, transgression, aggression or oppression could ever stand in God’s way.
So, keep moving, keep giving, keep doing the work to which God has called you. Live and give as if He can do the impossible because, indeed, He will.
God is in control, and His love remains the same—yesterday, today and forever.
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This article was originally written for Barnabas Foundation and published in Generosity Today (2024, Issue 4).
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