What do we do when life is so overwhelming? Just in the last month, we have seen Israel invade Iran, Riots, freak storms on Lake Tahoe in the summer, capsizing a boat, killing eight people, and the flash floods in Texas, with the most recent death toll at 120 people.
Inside the church, I have seen a nineteen-year-old have a car accident that left her brain badly damaged, and walking alongside her family, standing vigilantly at her bedside. Another woman in our community was on life support in UCSF (praise God, she is much better). My 18-month-old grandson got a 3rd degree burn on his hand (praise God, he will be fine). Walking with a young man who is distraught over his girlfriend’s car accident, and a father on the East Coast, worried about his son. Sat with a marriage falling apart that looked hopeless.
The thing about me is that I am very empathetic, and each of those events affects me deeply. Each phone call or text requires me to do three things. First, I feel their pain and burden. Next, I need to give them hope in the middle of a very dark time. Thirdly, I pray over the situation to make that person feel seen and cared for.
Why do we do this in a time of crisis? Because while we were still sinners, Jesus loved us by dying on the Cross. Because He set us free from the bondage of my sin, I know what to do: to love others the same way. Paul tells us in 2 Corintians 1 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” We all have the ability, because of Jesus, to bring comfort to others because He comforted us first.
So, how can we find strength in times of complete chaos? It’s straightforward: turn off the TV, Social Media, and open the Bible. Find a quiet place, bow your head, ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom, and open the Bible and read it. When we read the Bible, something amazing happens. Romans 12 says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
When we open the Word of God, we can find freedom, comfort, peace, joy, and patience; it moves our lives from the sandy ground the world lives in to the solid rock that never changes. I can only speak for myself, but I hate walking in sand; it is exhausting! I much prefer walking on solid ground. If you find yourself exhausted, then I say to you the very red letter words of Jesus in Mathew 11: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
If life keeps beating you down, it may be time to try another way. The way Jesus gives us is if we turn to Him and walk away from our old ways. See you Sunday at 9 or 11 am as we open the Word together.
Overcoming because of Him,
Pastor Chris