I realize I panic a lot. My panicking may not be an outward scream but it is like a stream of negative thoughts based around “what if something bad happens?”
My dad and I were driving the other day and I was telling Him a story, mid story, He asks “why do you always look at the negative side of things?” My heart sank, but as I sat there, mulling over what He just said, I realized it was true.
I think I would be really good at emergency management (if anyone would like to hire me). I can think up 21 disasters and ultimately think of 45 ways to avoid it from happening. See why I’d be an excellent candidate for emergency management?
Somehow, I do not believe this would be of any help. I think this would only fuel my anxieties. Not that emergencies don’t happen, and not that you can’t plan for them, but why focus or plan or build your life around them, especially for the fact that when they do happen, you are rarely ever able to control them anyway.
So on that note, I decided to trust God. I mean, I stamped “trusting God” on my brain and heart just ten minutes ago. Not that I didn’t trust God before, but more times than not, I’d sit and think about anxieties rather than throw them on God like He tells me to. I decided to trust Him, because He is sovereign, He is all-powerful, He is Holy, Righteous and Infinitely Wise. He is also plenteous in Mercy and Loves me. He hears me and responds to me, even though it may be ways I do not expect, or a way I may not want. He cares for me and comforts me with who He is and I’ve realized more and more He is my ONLY way and ONLY option, nothing compares with Him and He is above everything.
But more importantly, He cares for me. To know that in a time of panic is priceless. Even more importantly, He is able and powerful. To know this in a time of panic strengthens my weary frame. And I get weary extremely easily. To know that He is sovereign reaffirms that there is ALWAYS hope. This is an area where I fail to grasp more times than not. For me, too often, to adapt an ’emergency management mindset’ is to dwell on the hopelessness of the disaster rather than reflect on the opportunities of ‘hope’ that are created around it.
I believe that God, Himself designed everything to show those who believe on Him, hope :). Disasters are inevitable, but emergency management is not mine. That is already taken care of by Jesus. Why should I work to create my own hope when Jesus IS the only hope.
Consider this: Adam and Eve fall into sin and birth generations and generations into sin (disobedience to God). The wages of sin are death so every single one us deserves eternal death. There is no way out, no rescue, we’re all going to hell. Except that the lamb of God was slain, our rescue or our ’emergency management plan’ was taken care of from the foundation of the earth. Jesus, the lamb of God, made provision in Himself for my emergency of sin, and everything that proceeds from it on the cross and in His resurrection.
It is different if I do not believe on Jesus BUT if I believe that Jesus is alive, He is my Saviour and my Lord, the one who I give my life to follow, THEN I am covered, I am rescued and I have hope.
So, I will throw every anxiety I ever have on to Him from this moment forward because He cares for me (1 Peter 5:6-7) and made provision for me, before I even knew me. I will give Him everything because He alone is able.
Don’t wait to try everything else before you go to the only true hope, which is Jesus. But if you do, hope in Jesus, just like the woman with the issue of blood (Mark 5:25-34), because if we are desperate enough, we will lay hold of Him :).
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.
For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.
And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
(Romans 8:18-25)
Blessings
littlerevelations 