Batten Down the Hatches!

Well I am in Florida, on holiday. Threatening my peaceful escape from reality is Tropical Storm Fay. I have never experienced a tropical storm before, but despite the huge deal the media is making of the storm, I am kind of skeptical.

It's agenda setting, plain and simple. The media does not tell us what to think or what to say, but rather what to think about and what to talk about. By doing so, news stations and reporters are telling everyone to "run to the hills", there is a storm coming. But really, when is there never a storm coming in our lives. Both literal and metaphorically, we deal with storms everyday. You know those feelings of despair and desperation? Those are storms. Anxiousness, depression, sadness; all storms. When the storms of life come we do the same as when a real storm comes; we retreat, we prepare for the worst. In essence, we stop trusting and take things into our own hands.

I know I am walking a very fine line here, I mean, if I were a resident of Florida, I would not, not do anything in preparation for the storm, but I would like to say I would not worry about it. We live in a broken world, storms come, we endure them and the next day forget we even worried about the storm that just passed. The point where responsibility becomes taking charge of our lives instead of trusting our situation to God. I do not want faith to be mistaken as Christian stupidity, and I am not saying that people in Florida should not do anything to prepare for hurricanes or tropical storms, that would be stupid. What I am saying is that, as Christians, we should not be so quick to run to the hills, to run from our storms.

As a side note, I am not sure where I first was introduced to what I am about to write about; it was either in My Utmost for His Highest (Oswald Chambers), or in Crazy Love (Francis Chan). If you are a believer, to this you can relate. Before leaving on a missions trip, a vacation, or a road trip, we always pray to God and ask for His blessing in the trip and ask for safety. Where does Jesus ever talk about comfort and safety in the Bible? In Matthew 11:28, Jesus says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest." He does not say, I will give you safety; Jesus says, I will give you rest.

That being said, why do we think God wants us to be safe? As Christians we are not called to a cushy life with no problems. No, we take the narrow road, which is hard and arduous, a road which not many others take. Few will find it. As Christians we are also called to suffering, as Christ did. Jesus did not say that as Christians we would become greater than all others in the world. No, Christians are persecuted everyday. All around the world, every moment, brothers and sisters in Christ are suffering because they identify with Christ. Do you?

So, back to Fay. This is where the doctrine of American Christianity kicks in full fledge. As Americans, we have a sense of entitlement. We do. I have lived overseas, and the stereotype of Americans is ignorant and inconsiderate. That is the reputation we have among the world. Arab countries hate us and our government. Please, for your own safety, don't wear apparel with American Flags, identifying yourself with America. You will probably get robbed and beaten because believe it or not, we are rich. Even the poorest people in America have more than those in third world countries. So, this sense of entitlement. We think because God has blessed America, that it is His duty to do so. Well, guess what, it's not! When bad things happen in the world, it is not because He isn't a loving God, it is because He is a loving God. He uses suffering and storms to bring people closer to Him. John 10:10 says. "The thief comes only to kill, steal, and destroy; I (Jesus) have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." We live in a broken world, just because we are Christians does not mean life is going to be perfect. However, because we are Christians, we have an outlet to cast all of our cares on. The cross. We have the privilege and opportunity to cast all of our burdens and worries at the foot of the cross, to give them to Jesus, because the enemy has been defeated!

So, instead of asking for safety, why don't we ask God that He bring us closer to Him whatever it takes? I would challenge anyone who reads this to get real with his or herself and say, "God, I want to know you more, whatever it takes." As Christians, is not that the journey we are on? To know God more? To experience God more? It is. I urge you to understand, Christianity is not about what God can do for you. It is about serving God with what He has given you. God cares more that we grow closer to Him than that we are safe. Are you willing? Do you trust God enough that no matter what happens, good or bad, that you will find rest in Him?

When the storms of life come, God is in control. You will not find peace in preparation. You will find peace in Him.

In Philippians 3:7-10, Paul says, "But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead."

This is my hope. This is your hope. As believers, this is our hope. So he next time a storm comes your way, know that God is in control and that there are countless others who are going through the same thing you are.

Endure.

Persevere.

Press on.