Surely we all feel it!
- Lockdowns & increasing rules
- Division, even among groups that normally agree
- Spiritual leaders exposed as fraudulent and abusive
- Global economy in crisis
- Uyghur concentration camps (and no one acting for their justice!)
- Medical/health battles
- Increasing isolation
- Depression, mental health, suicides increasing
- Rampant domestic violence, divorce, and child abuse
- Geopolitical strife
- Sexual confusion
- Whispers of wars
Something’s terribly wrong with this world.
And it’s not just “them” — it’s “us!” Even “we” don’t agree.
Lord, help us!
When I’m sucked into non-stop news cycles, my heart catches fire with:
- anxiety/stress/fear
- anger
- a desire for certainty, to make the “right” decisions
- a grasp for control
But this morning, as I joined with other ladies to sit before God’s Word (Psalm 15 this week), my heart tuned in to these truths:
- King David’s generation had wicked-doers, financial-cheaters, slander-speakers, lie-celebrators, truth-revilers, friend-harmers, promise-breakers– AKA “vile persons.” These things are not unique to our age, to your community, to your life, or mine.
- The hope of the Gospel is not that we can get it together and behave perfectly–only Jesus could keep the rules. Lists of ways to live the “right way” can only take us so far, and without Jesus, they will break the spirit and bring about hopelessness.
- As we learn to walk by the Spirit, Jesus can change our heart to make us more like Him.
I’m not really focused on Psalm 15. It’s a fine Psalm, but it’s one of thousands of places we can go in the Bible to zoom out and remember God in the midst of the terrible truth about this world.
The one thing we can do when we are consumed by {enamored with, overwhelmed by, incensed by} the news of the day, is:
TURN TO GOD’S WORD FOR A MORE ACCURATE PICTURE OF THIS MESS OF A WORLD.
God is able to remake our hearts, and able to transform our perspective from one of anxiety, stress, and debilitating fear. He is able to transform our insides, and the way we are looking at things. He is able to help us see what’s happening and yet not be controlled by the events around us.
When we fix our gaze on Jesus, and let His Word inform and reform our minds, it changes everything.
It’s a simple thing, and yet it’s a thing I often overlook, or get too busy for. How about you?
Let’s help each other!! If you have ideas about how we can
- choose to turn toward the Word
- rather than toward fixating on the world (news, stress, fears, dangers),
please share them in the comments.
On FB, Jennifer H shared:
“The smaller I make my world, the easier it is to focus on what’s in front of me. I haven’t been called to be a political leader or soldier. I’m a mom so I look to my own house as best I can. And pray. And most of the time it is with the groanings of the Holy Spirit because it’s all too much for me to put into words.”
Dear Jess,
Thanks so much for writing on this – it is such a big thing right now. Every single person I talk to is deeply worried about the state of our country/world and the horrific things we see going on. For myself, if I get on Facebook or the news and start reading, I can, in short order, become so fearful and anxious as to be almost non-functional. For me, two things:
(1) This is a good wake-up call for me to see how weak my faith really is. It’s easy to think we have faith when, in reality, we are just confident in a country that protects our personal rights (to free speech, free thought, free expression, freedom of choice, etc.). This has been a spiritual exercise of finding out how weak my faith is as I see my rights as an American citizen under our current government becoming either shaky or non-existent. Sobering.
(2) As you quoted another reader on Facebook saying, I am having to learn to monitor my news intake. In short, I have to stay OFF of social media and the news. I can’t do anything about the big stuff, and reading about it just makes me sick (emotionally and physically). I focus on what I can do (managing my home and serving my family) and leave the rest.
Thanks for your writing! I can’t comment on every post, but I read them all! 🙂
Diana
I appreciate you bringing this up, and on just the right day, too, when I was having similar thoughts. How we need the Lord’s renewing of our minds now, more than ever. Thankful for His eternal Word, a sure foundation.