It Makes No Sense

I really wonder if anything else can be thrown into this week.  I have been hammered with an onslaught of circumstances that threaten to encompass me.  All of them have been things totally out of my control.  There is nothing I can do to ease them or make them go away.

I do not like feeling powerless.  I do not like feeling overwhelmed.  In these pandemic days, I really don’t need any additional stress.  

Part of me is angry.  Why me?  This is not the first time the school I am working for is closing down.  Why do I have to deal with the very real chance that I will lose a job I love dearly and one for which I have strong gifts?  Why is this happening to me again?

Part of me is fearful.  Why do I have to be wondering how we will manage economically when many around me are just fine?  Why do I have to deal with such financial uncertainties at my stage of life?

My mind races with all these questions and more.  How do I find a sense of stability and peace in amidst all this turmoil?

If I stop and think about it, I am in good company.  Think of Jesus’ disciples.  They gave up their livelihoods and went out in the world facing resistance and persecution.  The disciples had no job security or guarantees where their next meal would come from.  These men were often treated unjustly when all they wanted to do was to share the Gospel message.

These apostles survived in a world that doesn’t make sense because they had a very sure thing in an uncertain world.  This sure thing didn’t depend on anything this world provides – not economic conditions or people relationships.  

We can have that same sure thing with faith in Christ as our risen Lord and Saviour.  With that we know that our salvation is guaranteed, our place in heaven is secure.  Whatever this world throws at us in inconsequential in comparison to eternity.  

I said earlier that I am feeling powerless.  But I truly am not.  I serve a God who makes all things possible.  In Revelation 3 it says:

“What He opens no one can shut, and what He shuts no one can open.” (vs. 7b NIV)

My situation (and yours) is not hopeless – far from it.  With God all things are possible.

It’s also not true that there is nothing I can do. There are things that any of us can do, with the Holy Spirit’s help, to make our situations better:

Honour God – No matter what is thrown our way, we need to put God first in our lives.  This means acknowledging Him as the One who created all things and who continues to sustain them.  It means offering God the respect He deserves for what He has done for us.

Trust God – God wants only our good.  That doesn’t mean he omits every challenging circumstance from our lives, but that He will walk us through whatever happens.  In His infinite wisdom, He knows what is best for us.

Praise God – It is very hard to be downtrodden when we are full of thankfulness.  Praise and fear just don’t coexist.  Our attitudes are transformed when we give thanks to God for all that He has done and continues to do for us.

Serve God – While our circumstances can change our ability to serve, the given here is that God has called us to serve Him.  He has equipped us to serve and He will provide the opportunities.  No, they are not always what we think we want or deserve, but they are where God needs us.

Love God – God wants us to love Him with all our heart, soul, and mind.  This love relationship is mutual as He pours His great love on each of us.  

In these challenging times I have had to give myself lots of pep talks.  I haven’t survived all the trials I have experienced to go under now.  While the devil tries to persuade me to let go of my lifeline in Christ, I can, with the Holy Spirit’s help, hold on.  The devil wants me to give up – but I can’t give in to those kinds of influences.  I have seen God work wonders in my life and I know He won’t stop now.  The same applies to all of us.

Lots of things in this life do not make sense in earthly terms.  Thankfully, God has it in control.  When you feel like you are sinking, hold onto His glorious lifeline.