SHIFTING CONTAINERS – EIGHT certainties in life
How we embrace this season of uncertainty will not only build character but will reveal character. If we continue to seek scapegoats and look for conspiracies we will miss the greatest opportunity of our generation to grow and build capacity.
COVID-19 entered our lives like an uninvited guest and truly overstayed her welcome. I have found though, that those who saw this as an opportunity to grow, to build capacity, were surprised by what COVID-19 had to offer. Most who encountered the virus in one form or another realised that it reminds us of life, not death and that every challenge the virus presented, gave us an opportunity to reflect the eternal hope in Christ. It was like someone entered our lives and dusted our hearts. For those who were willing to fix their eyes upon Jesus, COVID-19 showed us what truly matters
COVID-19 presented us with EIGHT certainties in life, things we can expect to face in one form or another, and how we can use them as capacity builders for stamina.
Faint not in times of SILENCE: LISTEN!
Psalm 46:10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God.”
It is in the times of revelation that we need to obey and the times of silence that we need to listen. We often live within a spiritual paradox that views times of silence as times of being abandoned instead of times of intimacy. Loneliness refers to a state in which you are unhappy about being alone. Solitude, however, is an aloneness in which you find strength. Christ often pursued solitude in order to spend time with the Father (John 16:32 “A time is coming… when you will leave Me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for My Father is with Me”). By using His times of solitude wisely, Jesus was able to use the times of isolation as opportunities to prepare Himself for the cross ahead.
Faint not in times of LACK: TRUST!
Psalm 31:14 But I trust in you, LORD; I say, “You are my God.”
One of the silent predicaments of our present time is for Christians to discern between faith and trust. These two virtues are often confused: many who proclaim a FAITH in an omnipotent, spectacular God do not TRUST in His involvement or abilities, setting Him aside as an impotent, spectator God. On the journey of faith, we should not only express the belief that God is sovereign, we should act like He is still in control of our lives, our nations, our finances, and our families. FAITH is believing in God. TRUST is believing the God we believe in.
Faint not in times of ABUNDANCE: SHARE!
2 Corinthians 8:13 “Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality.”
If we have enough in this season of despair, we need to guard our hards against preserving and hoarding. Abundance can be as incapacitating as poverty if approached incorrectly. If you are blessed with more than your immediate need – share! According to Scripture, God’s economic guidelines promote neither wealth nor poverty. The Bible promotes:
- CONTENTMENT (Hebrews 13:5 “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content”),
- GENEROSITY (2 Corinthians 9:11 “You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion”)
- and EQUALITY (2 Corinthians 8:13 “Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality”).
- These are the three pillars of abundance that should be our guidelines in building capacity.
Faint not in times of WAITING: ENDURE!
Psalm 37:7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him.
A popular tongue-in-cheek poster reads as follows: “Patience is such a waste of time.” At first, this statement seems to contradict James’ instruction to be patient and to stand firm. But, as with most things in life, our perceptions are mostly determined by our definitions. If we define patience as “waiting”, it is indeed a waste of time. But when patience is understood in a true Biblical context, as “the position of endurance under difficult circumstances”, it becomes the sustaining force enabling perseverance in the face of delay. The journey of faith will require this virtue in large quantities and at frequent intervals.
Faint not in times of DISAPPOINTMENT: REMEMBER!
Psalm 77:11 I will remember the deeds of the LORD;
No matter how many challenges we face: Remember Jesus. Call to remembrance the faithfulness of the Lord. The fact that you can read this means you still have eyes to see, a brain to comprehend, a voice to pray and a heart to love. Psalm 77 is clearly divided into two parts; Depression and Victory, and the only action that divides the two is the action of verse 11 “But I will remember…” David speaks very specifically of how his soul refused to be comforted and how he fell into a pit of despair, depression and hopelessness. But then comes a clear change in his spirit when he chooses to remember — he makes an intentional decision, he says, “But I will remember”. Make your life a life of choosing to remember. Choose to remember the goodness of a Saviour.
Faint not in times of FAILURE: RISE!
Proverbs 24:16 for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes.
One of the biggest challenges we all face is the challenge of “image maintenance”. We all work extremely hard to maintain the perceptions other people have of us – we do this more than working on who we really are. Once the perception of who we are is dented, we experience failure. The response is therefore to find our identity in Christ, how He sees us and how we find our righteousness in Him, not in success or failure as determined by others. We will make mistakes in life. This is a given! Faint not in times of failure. This we know — Rise! Not because we are perfect but because we are in Christ.
Faint not in times of SADNESS: HOPE!
Psalm 39:7 “But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you.”
No matter what life might throw at us, we all have this blessed assurance that, even though we might be depressed, saddened, disappointed, rejected and isolated by man, we will never be abandoned by God. Nothing, not “trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword can separate us from a loving God… nothing in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is already found in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:35-39). This is a powerful Scripture to remember in times of sadness – it is not the promise of a fallible human being, but the words of One who has proven His faithfulness by dying on the cross. Jesus is loyal in times of loneliness not because He said so, but because He proved so. This allows us to have hope in our times of sadness: hope in the knowledge that nothing will separate us from the love of God, and hope in the promise that Jesus will always be with us, to the “very end of the age” (Matthew 28:19).
Faint not in times of VICTORY: STAY HUMBLE!
James 4:6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”
A big challenge in life is not to remain faithful in our times of defeat but to remain humble in our times of victory. Nowhere in Scripture do we read that the Lord despises those who fail, scorns those who makes mistakes, or abandons those who doubt. But we do read that the Lord opposes the proud. Be careful how you receive, acknowledge and report your success. Give God the glory, always.
How we embrace this season of uncertainty will not only build character but will reveal character. If we continue to seek scapegoats and look for conspiracies we will miss the greatest opportunity of our generation to grow and build capacity.
Galatians 6:9-10 KJV And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
You are most welcome to order the book CAPACITY from Mike at thirdwayinfo@gmail.com