"I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13 (NIV)
At no time is the reality of the war between the inner life and the outer life more evident than when "it" happens: job loss, down-sizing, sickness, financial distress, death of a loved one, separation, divorce, children's indiscretions-- you name the others. When things happen that change our circumstances or rock the boat we call our life, stress and distress enter the picture. Where is stress and distress felt most powerfully? Internally. Oswald Chambers, in My Utmost for His Highest, said most people never deal with the internal because they are so preoccupied with the making sure the external stays consistent. That is so true. When life is good, all of us want our circumstances to remain as they are or get better-- not worse!
But what happens when life takes a downward turn instead of upward? How can we stand up under the stress and distress that take over our inner life? When every thought is of the worse-case scenario, how can we calm the inner storm? The Apostle Paul said, "I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want" (Phil. 4:12). Webster's says that content means satisfied. However, for us, we think of contentment as being when the inner life consisting of our thoughts, emotions, and feelings and the outer life consisting of our relationships, living standards, and families are free of turmoil. In other words, when the inner life and outer life are at equilibrium.
Since I'm on this faith journey with Christ, here are some thoughts for fellow travelers:
First, let's make sure our perception of life is consistent with what God promises when we become followers of Christ. "Yet man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward. . . . Man born of woman is of few days and full of trouble" (Job 5:7, 14:1). Jesus said the following: "Each day has enough trouble of its own. . . . When trouble and persecution comes because of the word, . . . In this world you will have trouble" (Matthew 6:34, 13:21, John 16:33). We should remind ourselves that when we accepted the invitation to follow Christ, we were guaranteed a troubled life in this present world. Trouble comes from all directions including bad decisions that we and others make, personal sins and other's sins, Satan's attempts to steal, kill, and destroy us, and God's activity aimed at testing us and increasing our faith. The point is that when we, as Christians, experience trouble in this life and then get way-stressed out, angry, and desperate, we have lost the proper persective of the God-life. The question is not if trouble will come, but when.
Second, let's make sure our fears don't cause us to forget what God promises when we become followers of Christ. "But you, O God, do see trouble and grief; you consider it to take it in hand" (Psalm 10:14). "The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; he is their stronghold in time of trouble. The Lord helps them and delivers them; . . . because they take refuge in him" (Psalm 37:39-40). "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble" (Psalm 46:1). "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? . . . No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us" (Romans 8:35-37). The point is that when we, as Christians, experience trouble in this life, the proper response is to remember that God sees and knows we are in trouble, will take our trouble in his hands and help us in the midst of it, and see to it that we overcome the trouble with his wisdom, power, and might. However, for this reality to become ours, we must not ignore the inner life while focusing on fixing our circumstances.
Third, let's make sure we don't fail to prove ourselves to be Christians who rely on what God promises when we become followers of Christ. When troubled times come, fear makes us worry about everything. Soon, we find ourselves sitting endlessly with our head in our hands, pacing the floor non-stop, biting our nails even when we are talking, and losing our grip on life. Wisdom says, "If you falter in times of trouble, how small is your strength!" (Proverbs 24:10). Let's remind ourselves of what Jesus said: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? . . . your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matthew 6:25, 32-33). The point is that worrying never helps; it always hurts-- we know it's true, don't we? Let's remind ourselves that our lives are about a whole lot more than us; our lives are part of the greater plan of God for this world. In our inner life, we are to be busily involved in the spiritual disciplines of prayer, Bible study, worship, yielding to God's will, recognizing God's presence, and personal spiritual growth. In our outer life, we are to live according to God's standards rather than this world's standards, and we are to serve Jesus faithfully, obediently, and consistently in good and bad circumstances. I do not know how to explain it other than to say it is a God-thing, but if we will focus on being Christ-followers in our internal and external lives, God will take care of our troubled circumstances.
Having read these words that have been written in this post, I freely admit that following them is just as difficult for the writer as it is for the reader. But not impossible for all of us in Christ, for Paul reminds us that we can do all things (including overcome tough and troubled times) through our Lord Jesus Christ who stengthens us with his wisdom, ability, and power. Blessings along the way.
At no time is the reality of the war between the inner life and the outer life more evident than when "it" happens: job loss, down-sizing, sickness, financial distress, death of a loved one, separation, divorce, children's indiscretions-- you name the others. When things happen that change our circumstances or rock the boat we call our life, stress and distress enter the picture. Where is stress and distress felt most powerfully? Internally. Oswald Chambers, in My Utmost for His Highest, said most people never deal with the internal because they are so preoccupied with the making sure the external stays consistent. That is so true. When life is good, all of us want our circumstances to remain as they are or get better-- not worse!
But what happens when life takes a downward turn instead of upward? How can we stand up under the stress and distress that take over our inner life? When every thought is of the worse-case scenario, how can we calm the inner storm? The Apostle Paul said, "I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want" (Phil. 4:12). Webster's says that content means satisfied. However, for us, we think of contentment as being when the inner life consisting of our thoughts, emotions, and feelings and the outer life consisting of our relationships, living standards, and families are free of turmoil. In other words, when the inner life and outer life are at equilibrium.
Since I'm on this faith journey with Christ, here are some thoughts for fellow travelers:
First, let's make sure our perception of life is consistent with what God promises when we become followers of Christ. "Yet man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward. . . . Man born of woman is of few days and full of trouble" (Job 5:7, 14:1). Jesus said the following: "Each day has enough trouble of its own. . . . When trouble and persecution comes because of the word, . . . In this world you will have trouble" (Matthew 6:34, 13:21, John 16:33). We should remind ourselves that when we accepted the invitation to follow Christ, we were guaranteed a troubled life in this present world. Trouble comes from all directions including bad decisions that we and others make, personal sins and other's sins, Satan's attempts to steal, kill, and destroy us, and God's activity aimed at testing us and increasing our faith. The point is that when we, as Christians, experience trouble in this life and then get way-stressed out, angry, and desperate, we have lost the proper persective of the God-life. The question is not if trouble will come, but when.
Second, let's make sure our fears don't cause us to forget what God promises when we become followers of Christ. "But you, O God, do see trouble and grief; you consider it to take it in hand" (Psalm 10:14). "The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; he is their stronghold in time of trouble. The Lord helps them and delivers them; . . . because they take refuge in him" (Psalm 37:39-40). "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble" (Psalm 46:1). "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? . . . No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us" (Romans 8:35-37). The point is that when we, as Christians, experience trouble in this life, the proper response is to remember that God sees and knows we are in trouble, will take our trouble in his hands and help us in the midst of it, and see to it that we overcome the trouble with his wisdom, power, and might. However, for this reality to become ours, we must not ignore the inner life while focusing on fixing our circumstances.
Third, let's make sure we don't fail to prove ourselves to be Christians who rely on what God promises when we become followers of Christ. When troubled times come, fear makes us worry about everything. Soon, we find ourselves sitting endlessly with our head in our hands, pacing the floor non-stop, biting our nails even when we are talking, and losing our grip on life. Wisdom says, "If you falter in times of trouble, how small is your strength!" (Proverbs 24:10). Let's remind ourselves of what Jesus said: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? . . . your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matthew 6:25, 32-33). The point is that worrying never helps; it always hurts-- we know it's true, don't we? Let's remind ourselves that our lives are about a whole lot more than us; our lives are part of the greater plan of God for this world. In our inner life, we are to be busily involved in the spiritual disciplines of prayer, Bible study, worship, yielding to God's will, recognizing God's presence, and personal spiritual growth. In our outer life, we are to live according to God's standards rather than this world's standards, and we are to serve Jesus faithfully, obediently, and consistently in good and bad circumstances. I do not know how to explain it other than to say it is a God-thing, but if we will focus on being Christ-followers in our internal and external lives, God will take care of our troubled circumstances.
Having read these words that have been written in this post, I freely admit that following them is just as difficult for the writer as it is for the reader. But not impossible for all of us in Christ, for Paul reminds us that we can do all things (including overcome tough and troubled times) through our Lord Jesus Christ who stengthens us with his wisdom, ability, and power. Blessings along the way.
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