5 Encouraging Truths for Navigating Chaos
This week, I have the grand opportunity to share a devotion each morning on the Christian Business Men’s Connection (CBMC) PrayerNet call. It seems right to share a couple of those devotions with you this week. It’s a win-win! You get at least a double portion of God’s encouragement and edification, and I don’t have to write an additional article.
For the purpose of our study, it’s important to recognize that chaos invades our lives when God allows, or even creates, some type of storm. Pandemic and financial crisis come quickly to mind. Also, the loss of a loved one, a job, or a business.
When Beth and I lost our home to a fire in 2010, we had to find our way through the chaos of recovering what we could, finding a new place to live, and helping our children cope with their loss.
Needless to say, we had never made such a journey.
It would not have ended so well if God had not been there to show us the way.
One way God worked through our storm and its ensuing chaos… for our good… was the lessons He taught us along the way. The five we are sharing for CBMC this week include:
- Ensuring God’s sovereign protection during the chaos (found below);
- God’s good and loving purpose for storms and chaos;
- Looking forward so we do not miss God showing Himself strong on our behalf;
- God’s way for peace when anxiety threatens to overwhelm us; and,
- The importance and blessing of community during chaotic seasons.
For those who may find this series encouraging and edifying, I will post each of the devotions to the inLight Adventure Blog and create links to them in this list. On Friday, you will be able to share the link to this article to those you are discipling. We encourage you to do just that.
Now on to our first devotion.
Ensuring God’s Sovereign Protection During the Chaos
I am not a prophet, but I still dare to say: The chaos we have experienced these last couple of years will continue well into this decade. You don’t have to look hard to see storm clouds on the horizon. Sometimes I think they are like tropical depressions during hurricane season.
Furthermore, I would also venture to say: Many reading this article have experienced a storm (or two) in their life – a storm which created a season of chaos.
Back in 2010, my wife, children, and I experienced a season of chaos that began when our home of almost 25 years was destroyed by fire, smoke, and water.
It is hard to describe the feelings you have standing and watching your home burn. In that moment, life turned surreal. Time seemed to stand still… and rush by, all at the same time.
Praise God, Sarah was off at college!
Praise God, Matthew got out alive and physically unharmed!
Praise God, we were not asleep when the fire started!
The Lord Jesus is truly our Savior!! And He was, in a very real way, during our house fire storm.
Somewhere in the midst of this “storm-in-progress”, God whispered three things into our hearts. First, He said, “I am sovereign. Nothing happens outside of my will.”
Then He said, “I am a good God, I love you, and I have a plan for you. Reckon it so in your hearts.” And so we did; and we continued to remind each other to reckon God’s love as true and eternal.
God also told us to grieve the loss. At the time, we did not understand the importance of this step, but by His grace we obeyed. It was a decisive act.
Praise God for His desire to speak to His children!
Now, there are more devastating storms than the destruction of one’s home – including cancer, the death of a loved one, and the loss of a business. God has sufficient grace for every storm and every season of chaos. And all things are possible with God.
Our storm and its chaos were the burden God knew we could carry, and what He knew we could learn from. We have seen Him trust others with much more… many times in our lives.
God used that experience to teach us how to not only survive chaos, but to thrive in it. The lessons we learned have served us well over the last 12 years. The first I will share with you is how to ensure God’s sovereign protection during the chaos.
Our key verse for this week is one of my favorite promises in all of the Bible:
Romans 8:28 – And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
That’s the first encouraging word I have to share with you: Storms and chaos are part of the normal Christian life. In fact, God uses them for our good.
Now, it’s important to recognize that this promise is conditional. In fact, the conditions identify how we ensure God’s sovereign protection during the chaos. We must love Him and we must be called to His purpose.
We are going to search out His purposes for storms and chaos in our next article. Here, we will consider what it means to love God.
God’s love has often been called unconditional. That is not wrong, but neither is it totally right. A better one-word definition for God’s love is sacrificial.
God’s love is sacrificial.
To love God as God requires is to return that love – to love Him sacrificially. To love God is to sacrifice one’s self for Him.
In storms and chaos, for God to work all things to our good, we must be willing to lose something dear to ourselves. In fact, we must be attentive to recognize and give up what He requires. This sacrifice may be the loss itself (like a home), or something the loss has identified (like the desire to always be in control).
This is hard to say, and harder to hear, for someone who has lost a loved one or suffered some equally devastating loss. I cannot imagine the pain. But God has grace for all He requires and allows, and we must come to terms with the matter of His sovereignty.
The meaning of sovereignty is “supreme authority.” In other words, authority above all others.
God’s sovereignty is the source of all other authority, in heaven and in earth. God has the right to rule over all of creation, including each one of us and those we love.
If God were not sovereign, the “all things” in Romans 8:28 would be a deception, or have no meaning. There would be something or someone with power to thwart His efforts for our good.
To enjoy God’s sovereignty, we must know and honor God as omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. God is neither bound by time, nor by space. He is ever-beyond us and ever-near.
Whatever devastation and chaos our storm has created, God will work the loss to our good, if we continue to love Him sacrificially and submit to His purpose in the chaos.
That’s easier said than done, but all things are possible with God. God will work all things to the good of those who love Him, to those who are called according to His purpose.
Let me close with a word of encouragement related to the mission of CBMC:
The mission of CBMC is to present Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord to business and professional men and to develop Christian business and professional men to carry out the Great Commission while building a business of excellence that glorifies God.
There is no better time to disciple someone (i.e., carry out the Great Commission) than when they are going through storms and chaos.
Again, I am no prophet, but I believe many will lose their metaphorical houses during the storms of this decade (I am speaking of Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 7:24-29). These individuals, families, and even fellowships will be looking around for refuge, encouragement, and wisdom.
Those of us whose houses are standing strong will have great opportunity to glorify our Father in heaven, and advance His kingdom.
Those committed to God’s way in the storms and chaos of this decade are on the brink of great kingdom adventure!
God bless you with courage and grace for the God ordained opportunities and adventures that will come riding in on the continuing storms of this decade.
Humbly yours and forever His,
Rob
P.S. The men on the CBMC PrayerNet call recite an affirmation each morning. Here’s the one we used for this devotion (reckon it to be so in your life): God will work all things… to the good of those who love Him… to those who are called according to His purpose. God is sovereign. All things are possible with God.