In the age of viruses, protests, wars and economic decline

The pastor in church this morning tells me that there are two things I’ve got to know.

There is a God.
I’m not it.

Are you twisted with worry that the thin veneer of control you think you have may slip away while you’re not vigilant?

What does my faith rest upon?

The wisdom and methods of those within our governments, legal systems, and higher education?
Famous people with how-to self help books?
The evening news?
Information I gather from whatever sources I deem reliable?

You shake your head vigorously at some of my suggestions. You have trusted in the past and may have been disappointed and let down.
People will let us down.
People are fallible.

So if I can’t rest my faith in others, where can I rest it?

my own intelligence and self sufficiency?
The possessions I have accumulated?
The position or job I have?
The stockpile in my storage room?

All these things are temporary and will eventually fail us. To put our faith in ourselves and our ability to control our universe is a recipe for stress and anxiety. Trying to figure out all the angles of a situation, micro-managing all the curve balls that life throws at you, being ready for the next shoe to drop; all add to high anxiety and an inability to keep it up. Do you trust yourself to get it right?

Control is an illusion. We don’t have control over many things. We should be prudent and use all the resources given to us, but there comes a point where we have to release our grip and place our trust in something other than ourselves or others.
We all trust in something. I want to trust in something that does not change.

I want to rest my faith in a God who does not change. Life brings changes, the ebbs and flows of time. But God is timeless and a secure place to stand. This is what the Bible tells me, and I choose to believe it, rather than thoughts and words that mere man can comfort me with

Current events on planet earth can create panic when it feels like we have been left to our own devices. But I don’t believe God ever leaves us to struggle on our own. He has us firmly in the palm of His hand, and events never spin out of His control. I may not understand, but if I believe in His love and care, I can trust Him to work out the details. I can trust that He will be with me in this journey of life.