Every day we interact with people, whether from afar or up close and personal. Each of us brings our own perspective, opinion, experience and concern to the table. One thing that many people bring with them is their anger: their soap boxes and their negative outlook on certain things. How do we as Christians stand fast and continue in our hopefulness unshaken by that which has seized those around us? How can we maintain our peace and hope in the midst of other people’s turmoil?
First I want to challenge you to consider what types of things you think on. The Scripture gives us clear direction on what things we ought to be filling our minds with: “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things” (Philippians 4:8 – NIV). The reality is that if our thoughts were less consumed with “What if…”, “If only..” and “Oh boy, here we go again…” we might discover that there is a firm and secure foundation of hope in the person, power and purity of the Lord Jesus Christ. One reason that we bring our own turmoil, heartache and negativity with us in our interactions with other people is because we are personally thinking on the wrong things.
Secondly, let us consider for a moment how we respond to the words and situations of this world. When troublesome things come to us, do we pray about them or do we stew over them? When seemingly impossible or hopeless situations arise do we look to what the Scriptures say or do we sit down and try to figure out how we can make it all work out? A very big reason why we have chaos in our lives is because we attempt to handle things with our own finite wisdom, strength and love. How we react to other people’s words and behaviors and how we react to the circumstances and situations of life will demonstrate whether we personally are able to walk in “power, love and a sound mind” according to the Spirit of God at work in us. If we don’t take things to the Lord in prayer and we don’t consult Him and His Word, we are bound to take a difficult situation and make it even worse.
In these first two points I have challenged us to consider our own personal thought lives and how we react to things because this helps us to consider not only why we often have bad attitudes but also may give us a glimpse into why other people have their own attitudes. We need not make excuses for our bad attitudes, but if we get to the root of their origin it can help us personally avoid bad attitudes and help us to respond to others who wear their anger on their sleeve.
Lastly, I want you to consider how you react to people who carry their rain-cloud around with them. Do you respond in like kind? Do you pick up their banner of protest against all of the many wrongs in this world? Or do you take time to pray for the person who has such a great burden and for the situation which has them so distraught? Are you able to share the grace and truth of the promises of God’s Word? Are you living on such a firm foundation of faith and hope in the Lord Jesus that when someone is having a bad day, you are able to give them hope and good cheer through prayer and the Word or do you simply succumb to the temptation to commiserate with the angry and grumpy of this world?
God has called us as Christians to be firm and steadfast in Him. He died and rose again so that by His victory and by the Spirit He places in the hearts of believers we might be salt and light in the world. God intends that His children echo the Psalmist: “I keep my eyes always on the LORD. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken” (Psalm 16:8). I can pretty much guarantee that you will encounter someone this week that is convinced this world is coming to end and things are only going down-hill from here. Will you join them in their lament, depression and defeatism? Or will you choose the way of life and light that keeps eyes, heart and hope fully fixed on Jesus who will always win every battle for righteousness? Jesus said “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Will you believe this? Will you receive His peace? Will you walk in it instead of in the ways of anger and fear that this world promotes?
May God’s grace and peace be yours in abundance in the midst of whatever may come your way!
Pastor Michael Johnson 