The Remedy for Chaos

“Be still, and know that I am God..” Psalm 46:10

I’ve felt overwhelmed a few times this past while – caught in the too little, too late, too many, too much syndrome. More than once, my time or wisdom or energy or patience seemed sorely outmatched by the need of the moment. It’s like trying to extinguish a forest fire with a garden hose, fight a war with a pea shooter, navigate chaos in a row-boat.

Can you relate?

What do you do when that happens?

Here’s what I do: run around in rapid circles and scream like a 4-year old.

But that never seems to work (though the screaming brings minor and short-term relief, and has the added benefit of terrifying my neighbor’s cats). So my next and better resort is to sit down and shut up. I am learning (ever so slowly) to convert my inadequacy into fresh dependency on God and, through that, a fresh discovery of God’s sufficiency. God is in the habit of calling us down into valleys deeper and darker than our courage can bear, out onto waters rougher and wider than our stomachs can handle, up atop mountains taller and steeper than our strength can endure. It’s in those places where we expend the last ounce of our own courage and calm and strength, and either fail miserably or come face-to-face with the living God.

I met this week with a friend who two years ago failed miserably. He got out on the water, panicked, and sank. But even in the depths, God was there. He came face-to-face. It is making all the difference.

I think when Peter walked on the water, Jesus knew full well what would happen: first he’d do fine, pirouetting on the waves, and then he’d lose nerve and start plummeting. The bigness of the waves overwhelmed him. But I think Jesus set it up for Peter to learn afresh his complete inadequacy in order to admit his utmost dependency in order to discover God’s total sufficiency.

So if you’re running around in rapid circles and screaming like a 4-year old (or your version thereof), try this instead: shut up, sit down, and rediscover the living God. Convert your inadequacy into your dependency and there find His sufficiency.

By Mark Buchanan
Used by Permission