Jen’s Gem: God is not the author of chaos.
One of the greatest inventions ever made is the panic button on your car keys. If, like me, you forget where you parked as you exit the grocery store, in seconds you can locate your vehicle and be on your way. This sure beats the humiliation of aimlessly roaming the parking spaces as in years past!
In my opinion, the next miracle invention that needs to happen is a remote jumpstart for your car. It gets activated by a key fob. Seriously, how cool would this be? No tow trucks. No jumper cables. Come on. I’m certain someone reading this (or the child of someone reading this) can do it.
As I was about to leave for Bible study this week, my rental car decided it would rather stay home. Despite my many attempts to put the key fob in every location known to man in the car, crickets. I’d no idea what to do and did not have time (nor the desire quite frankly) to read the owner’s manual.
The following day I contacted the rental car company and told them of the dud parked in my condo’s lot. I arranged for it to be towed away. In that moment, I’d never missed my decade-plus old Toyota Camry more. Where is it you ask? Parked in the lot at my daughter’s apartment building.
After her car accident, I gave her my car so she could get to school and work. The thing is, she is still pretty shook up over the accident and is afraid to drive. She has arranged for coworkers and friends to chauffeur her around, as my car sits by its lonesome. Thankfully, my son’s car is available to me if I need it (sort of!). So, what do we have here?
One car was parked because of a dead battery. The other is parked because of fear. The result? No one’s going anywhere. Hmmm…Me thinks there’s a lesson here.
For many of us, our batteries are running low, maybe they are empty, leaving us without the juices needed to cope with life’s many challenges. We read every day of people suffering from burnout, quitting jobs because they just can’t take it anymore. The Great Resignation is what the media have dubbed this mass exodus.
On the other hand, there are many folks who are walking around in fear because of the virus, unemployment, inflation, and more. They are frozen, unable to move forward. What will I do if….?
Both of these situations prevent us from experiencing the joy and peace that God wants for us. He did not create us to be walking zombies frozen in fear, overwhelm, and exhaustion, just going through the motions. That is not, I repeat NOT His plan. What is it then you ask? What are we supposed to be doing?
First, you have to know that God only creates good things. He does not create messes or junk or failures. So if
you examine your life and see any of these things, they did not come from Him. That dead battery was not God. My daughter’s car accident was not God. Even the other challenges I faced this week. Yep – you got it. Not God.
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” (James 1:17 NKJV)
So where do these many foibles come from? Well, some of them are of our own doing. I know, I know. That one is a tough pill to swallow. But let’s face it. Our words and actions are sometimes the culprit of our troubles. If we are honest with ourselves, we will find that at least 50% of our troubles are self-inflicted.
Some other percentage is from our enemy, Satan. He wants us in confusion and overwhelm 24/7/365. Why? Because when we are in a storm, our eyes are on the storm, not where they are supposed to be – fixed on Jesus. The more Satan can steal our joy and our peace, the happier he is. The more he can keep us wallowing in our troubles and worry, the happier he is.
“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10 NKJV)
I can’t make the troubles in your life disappear. I can however pray for you and all you need to do is ask. (Click here to email me.) I can point you to Scriptures that speak to God’s plans and promises so you can read and speak them over your life. I can be an example of how to get through the storms so you can see that it can be done.
“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” (Philippians 4:8 NKJV)
There’s no fear or overwhelm or lack or depression or loneliness in God’s parking lot. There’s love, joy, blessings, forgiveness, protection, and a mansion in heaven one day if we make the decision to believe in His Son’s sacrifice for us. We already know what’s in the other parking lot. So my question to you today is:
Where are you parked?