Tension & TruthSample

THE SECRET OF BEING CONTENT

In Matthew 8, we read the story of Jesus and the disciples caught in a hectic storm. Jesus is fast asleep, and the disciples are in a panic. In verse 25, they wake Jesus up by shouting, “Don’t you care that we are going to drown!”This sentence gives us insight into their internal narrative. We all go through external storms in life; however, our internal narrative will either calm our response to the external storm or create an even bigger internal storm. The disciples told themselves at that moment that Jesus didn’t care and that they were about to die, hence their panic. What story do you tell yourself when you are in a storm? Understanding our internal narratives is crucial to how we navigate the journey of life and the trials and troubles we find ourselves in.

The way the disciples responded to Jesus, gives us insight into the fact that they didn’t fully understand “who” was in the boat with them. Do you know who is in the boat with you when a storm hits?

Paul, however, did know who was with him. This is why he could praise in prison and declare that to live was Christ and to die was gain. He had a big-picture eternal perspective to hold onto regardless of the circumstances he was in. He knew the secret of being content in EVERY situation. His hope was in Jesus. Jesus was his strength. His internal narrative was based on truth, not the tense reality around him.

In Acts 27, we read about Paul being a prisoner on a boat caught in a hectic storm that lasted weeks. At the point when all hope is gone, Paul receives a message from God saying, in verse 22, “Take courage! You will not lose your lives, even though the ship will go down.” Talk about a tension and truth moment. Paul chooses to fix his thoughts on truth despite the crisis of a pending shipwreck. His confident hope resulted in 276 lives being saved.

How we live here on this shipwreck of a world will either result in lives being lost or saved. Oh, that you choose to fix your thoughts on truth.I believe the world right now is in desperate need of messengers of hope. Remember you can choose to focus on the storm or the Savior, the prison or the promises, the tensions or the truth.

REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS:

1. How do you respond when in a crisis?

2. What triggers fear in your mind?

3. What truth do you feel God wants you to hold onto in your triggered spaces?

PRAY:

Lord, I pray for your peace that passes all understanding. Help me keep my eyes on you when the storms of life hit. Help me hold onto your truth as I grow in learning to be content in all circumstances.