Recently our country just experienced a cyberattack, which blocked us from logging into our Facebook accounts. Fortunately, no one was seriously harmed by this attack. However, that does not mean that this inconvenience was not very frustrating and overwhelming to many people, myself included. It is during these times that it would do good for us to meditate on some biblical truths so that we can keep our peace. Every single one of us knows what it is like to experience some form of crisis in our lives. Whether it is something as serious as a death in the family or simply being caught in a traffic jam, we all experience difficulty in life. As a matter of fact, our Lord even tells us in John 16:33,
"In the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world"
Jesus was realistic enough to acknowledge that this world would be full of trials. He did not promise us an easy life. However, He also reminds us that He has overcome the world on our behalf. As our Messiah, we just need to keep our eyes on Him. If we do this, then we will not be overwhelmed by our trials. So, how exactly do we keep our eyes on Jesus? In this blog, I will give you some tips from Scripture that will help you remain calm during your storm. The purpose of this blog is to remind you that no matter what you are going through, you can always trust in the Savior because He is sovereign and in control.
"In the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world"
Jesus was realistic enough to acknowledge that this world would be full of trials. He did not promise us an easy life. However, He also reminds us that He has overcome the world on our behalf. As our Messiah, we just need to keep our eyes on Him. If we do this, then we will not be overwhelmed by our trials. So, how exactly do we keep our eyes on Jesus? In this blog, I will give you some tips from Scripture that will help you remain calm during your storm. The purpose of this blog is to remind you that no matter what you are going through, you can always trust in the Savior because He is sovereign and in control.
Focus on God's Sovereignty
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In Matthew 6:30 and 33, we read the following from the words of Jesus,
"But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?... But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these will be added to you"
In this text, our Lord beautifully demonstrates that just like God takes care of the plants and animal life, the Lord will do much more for us. Birds of the air and the grass of the field do not worry about anything, yet the Lord takes care of them. We are definitely much more valuable to God than they are. The only thing that should consume our thoughts is pursuing God's kingdom, which we have because we are in Christ. If we passionately seek His kingdom, then God will take care of all the details of our lives. Another verse that I'd like to draw your attention to that demonstrates His sovereignty is my personal favorite. Romans 8:28 tells us,
"And we know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose"
Here Paul is not telling us that everything we go through is indeed good. What he is telling us is that literally everything we go through, whether it be good or bad, will in the end work out for our good. I know that this is a hard pill to swallow, but we must not gloss over this truth. No matter what you are going through at this moment, you must believe that it will work out for your good. How is this possible? Because God is infinitely more powerful than any of our circumstances and there is not a single rogue molecule in space that is outside of His will. He is not only omnipotent, but He is also omnibenevolent too. For this reason, we can trust in Him no matter what our circumstances are telling us.
"But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?... But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these will be added to you"
In this text, our Lord beautifully demonstrates that just like God takes care of the plants and animal life, the Lord will do much more for us. Birds of the air and the grass of the field do not worry about anything, yet the Lord takes care of them. We are definitely much more valuable to God than they are. The only thing that should consume our thoughts is pursuing God's kingdom, which we have because we are in Christ. If we passionately seek His kingdom, then God will take care of all the details of our lives. Another verse that I'd like to draw your attention to that demonstrates His sovereignty is my personal favorite. Romans 8:28 tells us,
"And we know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose"
Here Paul is not telling us that everything we go through is indeed good. What he is telling us is that literally everything we go through, whether it be good or bad, will in the end work out for our good. I know that this is a hard pill to swallow, but we must not gloss over this truth. No matter what you are going through at this moment, you must believe that it will work out for your good. How is this possible? Because God is infinitely more powerful than any of our circumstances and there is not a single rogue molecule in space that is outside of His will. He is not only omnipotent, but He is also omnibenevolent too. For this reason, we can trust in Him no matter what our circumstances are telling us.
Bring Your Anxieties To God
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Philippians 4:4-7 tells us,
"Rejoice in the Lord Always; again, I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus"
If you thought these words came from someone who has not experienced many trials in their lives, you would be wrong. The Apostle Paul penned these words while locked away in a Roman prison. Roman prisons back then make our modern prison system look like a child's daycare. Yet, Paul still found a reason to rejoice and thus, he encourages us to find reasons to rejoice during our trials too. Notice how he is not saying that anxiety is a sin? It is not a sin, but the solution to our anxiety is to bring them to God because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). When we bring all of our cares and concerns to Him in prayer, His peace will cover our minds.
"Rejoice in the Lord Always; again, I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus"
If you thought these words came from someone who has not experienced many trials in their lives, you would be wrong. The Apostle Paul penned these words while locked away in a Roman prison. Roman prisons back then make our modern prison system look like a child's daycare. Yet, Paul still found a reason to rejoice and thus, he encourages us to find reasons to rejoice during our trials too. Notice how he is not saying that anxiety is a sin? It is not a sin, but the solution to our anxiety is to bring them to God because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). When we bring all of our cares and concerns to Him in prayer, His peace will cover our minds.
Think Positive Thoughts
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At the risk of sounding like one of these false "prosperity gospel" preachers, I would like to direct your attention to Philippians 4:8, which says,
"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things"
Contrary to what the "prosperity gospel" preachers will tell you, your thoughts do not dictate reality. You and I cannot change our circumstances just by changing our thoughts. However, I do believe that our thoughts concerning our circumstances can affect the way we deal with our circumstances. For example, I had no control over whether or not my mother died. She was going to die regardless of how I thought or felt about it. However, I could have let her death completely destroy me by thinking all hope was lost or I could have chosen to remind myself that she is saved and is now in the arms of Jesus. If I allowed myself to think of the former, I probably would have committed suicide. However, by choosing to think on the latter, I now have the hope of one day seeing my mom in glory when either I go to be with Jesus myself or at His glorious return. The bottom line is this: No matter what your circumstances are, you have control over how you choose to view your trials and tribulations.
I hope that this blog has given you some encouragement to face your storms. Always remember that no matter what you are going through, you are not alone because you have the Holy Spirit and the Body of Christ with you. Thank you very much for taking the time to read my blog and may the grace of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ richly bless you all!
-David Lee Chu Sarchet
Christian Mental Health Advocate
Check out the Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry Website
"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things"
Contrary to what the "prosperity gospel" preachers will tell you, your thoughts do not dictate reality. You and I cannot change our circumstances just by changing our thoughts. However, I do believe that our thoughts concerning our circumstances can affect the way we deal with our circumstances. For example, I had no control over whether or not my mother died. She was going to die regardless of how I thought or felt about it. However, I could have let her death completely destroy me by thinking all hope was lost or I could have chosen to remind myself that she is saved and is now in the arms of Jesus. If I allowed myself to think of the former, I probably would have committed suicide. However, by choosing to think on the latter, I now have the hope of one day seeing my mom in glory when either I go to be with Jesus myself or at His glorious return. The bottom line is this: No matter what your circumstances are, you have control over how you choose to view your trials and tribulations.
I hope that this blog has given you some encouragement to face your storms. Always remember that no matter what you are going through, you are not alone because you have the Holy Spirit and the Body of Christ with you. Thank you very much for taking the time to read my blog and may the grace of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ richly bless you all!
-David Lee Chu Sarchet
Christian Mental Health Advocate
Check out the Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry Website
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