Feeling Overwhelmed?
For the last few months, I have been struggling with writing. You may have noticed my lack of posting consistently over the last couple of months. I’m not sure what is stopping the words from flowing. God has been good to give me words to write for the last ten years – the newsletters and the blog postings. But for some reason, the words are not there or maybe my lack of desire to sit down and write is not there. Maybe it’s the season I’m in; things are a bit overwhelming – political chaos, disasters, and grief – are a bad combination for creativity.
Typically, I read quite a bit each day. From my quiet time to dinner time, I read – news articles, health articles, and of course God’s Word. It’s all important to stay connected with what’s going on around me. But sometimes (or most of the time), the news can be bad. It’s hard not to get sucked into the negativity. God’s word grounds me for the things I read going on in this world. Every disaster – flooding, fires, and earthquakes – just seems to get worse. But God’s word is constant. God’s word is life-giving. It’s thought provoking. It’s challenging. It’s informative about the world we currently live in.
There are times when I get overwhelmed with the chaos; however, the chaos never diminishes the peace that reigns in my heart. Peace is there no matter what is happening on the outside. Peace is just there filling every fiber of my being. Do you have that peace too – no matter what?
The Bible tells us we don’t fight flesh and blood – there is a spiritual enemy that is working against us. In every regard, he is throwing this world into chaos. It’s what he does – it’s who he is. Deceptive. Manipulative. Destructive. He challenges God’s plan by throwing in chaos. Scripture tells us we shouldn’t be surprised by the events that take place in our world today. God’s word foretold it all.
God’s plan will be successful, but the enemy always tries to stop it. His time is drawing to a close. We know this by God’s word – the birth pains of the end are growing closer together. Disasters are more frequent and intensity is ramping up. Historical flooding, historical fires and crazy times tell us things are coming to a crescendo.
One day, Jesus will return. We’ve heard this since Jesus left the first time. Sometimes it’s hard to comprehend this will all end one day. But it will. Maybe we’ll see it, or maybe we will all die before that Day. But we will all have to stand before Jesus one day. We are told to be ready – regardless. We are never promised another day. Accidents happen. Heart attacks are too common these days.
We never know how long we are given for this life. Scripture tells us to number our days – we need to make the most of what we’re given. We are told though, we have an eternal life. What we have here is very short. We should be striving for the eternal. God’s word tells us to store up the treasures in heaven. We are to make a difference in people’s lives – these things will be stored in heaven for us for our eternal home.
There has been a thought circulating in my mind for the last few months. (Not scriptural – just strange thoughts I have at times.) What if the things we do here for eternity purpose is our resource to live on there? If we do nothing here for eternity purpose, we will be just getting by in heaven (for eternity) – we will be in the poverty section of heaven (for eternity). Our street will be paved in silver instead of gold. I know, at least we’re in heaven, right? But we might miss out on some of the best adventures with God. It could be life-changing for us and for those we could impact. But if we miss it, what are we losing for eternity?
What we do matters. It’s not how we’re saved – we aren’t saved by works. We are saved by the grace of God through Jesus Christ, His Son. But because we’re saved, we should want to do more (faith and works are woven together). You might have heard the term – hurt people hurt people. This concept should be true of us: saved people save people. This is what we’re called to do.
These times shouldn’t surprise us and it shouldn’t thwart the work that needs to be done. We might get overwhelmed for a minute, but it shouldn’t throw us into despair. It’s part of the plan. We need to understand: God is still on the throne and He is still our good, good Father. Let’s not get sucked into the chaos, but remember we are His hands and feet for such a time as this. He arranged it just for us. Time to be about the Father’s business – eternity is just around the corner.
Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. 1 Peter 3:12-16
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