All of us are receiving conflicting messages, whether these messages are about mask-wearing or not, or about what the “left” is up to and what the “right” is up to. Confused? Me too, yet I am finding hope, not in circumstances, but in Christ. Paul urges us to let Christ’s peace “rule” in our hearts (Colossians 3:15)! Don’t forfeit your peace. Here are a few thoughts that may help you recapture it.
Be cautious about listening to too much news. Whether your news is coming from the right or left, it’s not unbiased. Be discerning and question your own certainty. Oddly, the media ranks among the most untrusted establishments by Americans and yet, Americans can’t seem to get enough of what the media says.
Please slow down and think through definitive statements you are tempted to make on social media, especially those which condemn others. Paul the Apostle reminds us that our real enemies are not the “flesh and blood” variety (Ephesians 6:12). Beware of becoming part of the “Cancel Culture.”
Do not demonize people who disagree with you, especially politicians. Instead, pray for them consistently- that they might know God and be influenced by Him (see 1 Timothy 2:1-5).
If you are hearing prophetic words of doom and gloom, “words” which motivate you to turn your investments into gold, stockpile food and firearms, slow down. Test these words. Look at the fruit they are producing. Fear, Panic? Peace? There is nothing wrong with prophetic words which teach us to prepare for future hardships. We have examples of them in both testaments (Genesis 41:48; Acts 11:27-30). When such words come from God, we are given time to prepare and we can do so from a position of peace, not panic. We also need to remind ourselves that should we be called to make special preparations, that we must not hoard. God calls us to give to those who will ask (see Luke 6:30-36). We can share freely because God, not our preparations, will see us through- I am told that He still has the recipe for manna!
Hard times may come. Early believers endured the confiscation of their property, not to mention social ostracization, torture and martrydom. God does not promise that we shall be spared such, but that He will be with us in and through it all. The early believers learned that their contentment in life didn’t depend on their circumstances but on their steadfast trust in their Savior (see Philippians 4:11-13).
The current unrest can be among the finest hours for the Church, if we heed the words of Jude (v. 21), “keep yourselves in the love of God.” Our hallmark is love (John 13:35). We keep ourselves in the love of God when we keep experiencing God’s love and keep transmitting it!