07/30/2017
“And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”
And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
Mark 4:37-41
Our first "natural" instinct when a situation arises is to "run, panic, protect ourselves" from anything that may even "seem" harmful or dangerous to our lives, bodies, minds, and etc.
Our bodies were even designed to grow more fat around our abdomen under pressure or stressful situations (why so many people have issues with getting rid of tummy fluff when working out) your adrenal glands protect all of your vital organs and when your body sends sensory messages that you're under attack (your body doesn't know the difference between you running to avoid getting attacked by a tiger and a small common stress issue.) I say this because we were designed this way. We were also designed in our human nature to go after anything pleasing to the flesh.
In our lives when we become new creations we are no longer subject to our "natural ways of life" we then become subject to righteousness, a supernatural way of life.
Having peace when it seems unreasonable, understanding where we didn't before, forgiveness when it seems impossible, love when it seems insane.
God calls us to a supernatural life with Him. That doesn't mean the storms won't come. That means we are no longer bound to our "old ways and reactions" that means we have a new captain who we can trust to lead and guide our lives, protect us even when it seems like we're going to die, and provide all we need to overcome whatever comes our way.
It's easy for us to question God just like they did in this story, to doubt Him and to wonder why things look all out of sorts, of how we would imagined them to go (which no matter how we try to clean it up we always want the perfect version of what's in our minds to come to pass, and then get mad at God when it doesn't like we are "owed" something). The fact that He died for us while we were YET deep in our sin and wicked ways! Is SO MUCH MORE than we deserve! But yet we get beside ourselves with this prideful mindset of I deserve this kind of job, this kind of car, this kind of marriage, these kind of children, etc etc.
God is sovereign and the lives He creates for each of us are designed for His glory specifically in our lives. I believe people have such a hard time in hardship not just because we're going against the very thing of our natural instincts to endure, and hope and have faith. But also because somebody lied to us telling us "becoming a Christian" meant a worldly prosperous life.
God wants us to enjoy life on earth, but His main concern is that our soul prospers. And we can't serve 2 masters. So when we find ourselves getting more offended and hurt by not having some "earthly gain", rather than praying that the Lord use every situation that may seem uncomfortable to prosper our souls in His righteousness, it's time to check our hearts, and ask God to transform that area.
He desires that our hope is in Him alone, our trust is in Him alone, and understand that our salvation is in Him alone. We are usually challenged by hardships for this reason. To be shaped to this understanding. Not necessarily for punishment or because God is not a loving God.
He loves us so much that He wants to teach us the things eternal, the things that last, the things no one can take from you because we have been so shaped and rooted in our trust in Him that no matter what winds blow, we aren't quickly moved, or panicked because we know and trust that in every situation that we finally decided to let go of and allow Him to be Lord over His outcome was beyond what we could have imagined for our spiritual growth and His glory.
So before you panic in another hardship, uncomfortable situation, storm, ask the Lord to give you understanding and reminder of who He is (The ONLY Sovereign God, to be Sovereign you must have the ability to control EVERYTHING, and He is, the author and the finisher, the creator, the beginning and the end.) and to remind you that the storm is not for your "earthly gain" but so that your soul may prosper in whatever ways and by whatever means necessary.
"Lean not on your own understanding, but in ALL your ways acknowledge Him."
