Crisis

Many of us refuse to grow where God plants us. Therefore, we don't take root anywhere. Jesus said if we would obey the life of God within us, He would look after all other things. Did Jesus Christ lie to us? Are we experiencing the “much more” He promised? If we are not, it is because we are not obeying the life God has given us and have cluttered our minds with confusing thoughts and worries. –Oswald Chambers

Crisis. We all go though periods, seasons, or events that we call a time of “crisis.” God uses crisis situations to teach us important things. Crisis reveals things to us. Sometimes it reveals things we never would have known were there had the crisis not occurred. For instance, crisis might reveal a faith and trust in God that we did not think we had. Crisis also reveals things we should have seen but instead we ignored, or did not deal with. Crisis might reveal sinful habits, anger over the past, guilt, pride, or fear.

One of the things that I have been learning though times of crisis is how much “stuff” we willingly clutter our lives with. So much so that the “important” and “best” things get lost, misplaced, or overlooked in the clutter of “urgent” and “good” things crowding our hearts, schedules, and relationships. Crisis seems to cut through all the clutter like a special pair of glasses that renders the important stuff opaque and everything else translucent.

It’s a shame that we do not take the time to recalibrate our lives regularly outside of crisis. Times of crisis seem to be the only times many of us get back on track and realize how much we need to do the important things like prayer, reading the Bible, loving on our family and friends, doing what needs done by us most, and not living in constant stress of having to put out all the fires of life.

You realize again how little you really are in control of and how little you can handle. You realize that it is here, at this point, at that admission of helplessness, that God has been trying to bring you so He can be God and you can be His servant, His friend, and His son or daughter. It is when you get here that the grace starts to really flow.

Many of you are going though a time of crisis right now or you know someone who is. There is a lot of “it” going around. When you are given an opportunity to see clutter in your life for what it is, do not miss the opportunity to do something about it; for much of the clutter is what led to the crisis.

For others the clutter is what is keeping us from handling the crisis better and getting through it faster. But before we start to loose our sight again, take inventory on the things in your life, work, and relationships that are really important so you will be able to discern them from what is just taking up space. Do it today. You will be glad you did.