Between Calamity & Calling

Scriptures: Genesis 3:5, Hebrews 12:1-2, Philippians 2:6-8, 1 Corinthians 15:21-22

FIX YOUR EYES ON JESUS

Do you ever feel like the problems of life are never-ending? Do you ever feel like you are constantly wading upstream through disappointments, betrayals, hurts, pressures, setbacks or just never-ending admin lists? Do you ever feel like you have lost sight of the truth amidst all the tensions of life around you?

So how do we hold tensions and truths with both hands and not give up on the race set before us?

Hebrews 12:1-2 tells us to run this race of life with endurance and that we fix our eyes on Jesus. Therefore, I believe it is appropriate to consider how Jesus dealt with the calamities of life while remaining faithful to His calling. As human beings, our instinct is to hold onto control and power, especially when feeling powerless—to stay in the driving seat of life. However, Jesus shows us a different way. Even though Jesus is fully human and fully God, when He came to earth He willingly gave up His divine privileges. He humbled Himself in obedience to His Father – Philippians 2:6-8. His obedience to the Father is a crucial starting point for us to model our lives after.

Jesus is also known as the second Adam. While the first Adam sought after equality with God, Jesus, the second Adam gave it up. The key is that Jesus shows us what it means to live a life in surrender to the Father.

REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS

• What do you tend to do when feeling powerless over circumstances that might trigger you?
• How do you process tensions around you when feeling hopeless to do anything about them?

PRAY:

Lord, help me fix my eyes on you and learn from you, so I finish this race well.

Scriptures: John 8:41, Matthew 3:16-17, Matthew 4:1-11, Matthew 26:36-46

CALAMITY THAT JESUS PROCESSED

Jesus had his fair share of wrestles to process in life. For example, we know that Mary conceived Jesus through miraculous conception. This would have meant there was much speculation and gossip about who his real Father was. I often wonder how this would have impacted Jesus.

Straight after Jesus was baptised, the Father affirmed His identity declaring aloud from Heaven, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him, I am well pleased.” This was a defining moment for Jesus, as all speculation would have ended with that one statement. However, the attack was far from over.

Jesus then retreats to the desert for 40 days where the enemy attacks him directly around his identity. The most prominent space the enemy loves to attack is around identity. He knows if he can get you to doubt your identity and authority, he can undermine your purpose and call. Jesus demonstrates how to use the truth to fight this battle, hence showing us why staying in God’s word is crucial to all the calamities we face.

It is in the Garden of Gethsemane where we see Jesus dealing with the most significant calamities of all: the night before his crucifixion. The tension of this space cause Jesus deep distress. However, it is in this space that Jesus models four steps that we can also practically do to help us process calamity whilst staying faithful to our calling.

These four steps are:

1. Retreat
2. Reveal
3. Wrestle
4. Repeat till you Rise

Life is all about learning how to process the calamities and tensions so that we can rise strong through to the other side. The difference between a victim and a victor is not circumstances, but choice.

• Choose to focus on the truth, not the tension
• Choose to focus on the promise, not the prison
• Choose to focus on the Saviour, not the storm

REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS

• What is your general knee-jerk reaction when facing calamity and tensions?
• What do you tend to focus on when in spaces of distress?

PRAY:

Lord, help me fix my mind on truth as I wrestle through these tensions around me.

Scriptures: Matthew 26:36, Mark 1:35, Luke 5:15-16, Psalms 46:10

RETREAT

I have a few spaces I love to retreat to, from an area in my garden to away spaces in the mountains, where I can sit and take in the majesty of God. Retreat spaces don’t always have to be overnight getaways, although, at times, this may be what you need most.

Retreat spaces are carved-out moments when you can move away from demands to get a different perspective. I love that Jesus regularly modelled this for us. However, retreat spaces may not always be relaxing, especially when processing tough seasons.

I once went away on a 3-day silent retreat. I never realized how “loud” my mind was until I was in silence. The busyness of life often masks the loudness of our minds. Therefore, finding retreating spaces away from the clutter and demands of life is a necessary discipline in which one must be intentional. Don’t allow the world’s celebration of busyness to devalue the significance of investing in retreat spaces. Make retreating a regular discipline. Taking time to process challenging tensioned spaces is imperative in how you come through them.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS:

• Do you need to eliminate busyness in your life?
• How can you factor in a daily retreat space in your diary?
• What do you find hardest about retreat spaces?

PRAY:

Lord, help me find spaces to quiet my heart and mind before you. I pray for your guidance as I am still before you.

Scriptures: Matthew 26:37-38, Psalms 56:8, Philippians 4:6-7, 1 Peter 5:7

REVEAL

“You can’t heal what you don’t reveal.”

Emotions are always better when expressed out rather than suppressed in. Allowing ourselves to express what we feel is incredibly healthy. When a person is emotionally triggered, it is the same as having your swimming goggles filled up with water—it’s hard to see clearly. Triggered emotions make it hard to think clearly or rationally. Therefore, expressing what you feel helps defuse the intensity of the emotion.

I love that Jesus pulled a few of his closest disciples aside to reveal His emotion. Who are the emotional lightning rods that can hold a safe space for you as you uncover the emotions overwhelming you?

David Augsburger, Author of “Caring Enough to Hear and Be Heard“, says, “being heard is so close to being loved that for the average person, it is almost indistinguishable.”

If more people find safe people to process emotions with, the need for professional help will automatically decrease. Remember, every depression started with an unrevealed, unexpressed feeling.

Emotion is just like feeling nauseous. “You can’t dream of a Sunday roast when nauseous.” It is always better out than kept in.

REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS:

• Who in your world are your safe emotional lightning rods?
• Who can you be an emotional lightning rod for?
• What is your biggest fear of revealing emotions to others?
• What feeling do you struggle with the most?

PRAY:

Lord, thank you that every emotion I feel matters to you. Thank you for creating me so wonderfully complex. Please help me be honest with all I feel.

Scriptures: Matthew 26:39, James 1:2-4, Romans 8:17-18, 2 Corinthians 4:7-9, 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

WRESTLES

Sometimes I think to myself when watching wrestling, “Why don’t they just ask someone for a hug?” A real intimacy of closeness happens when it comes to wrestling, both in the sport and emotionally. Wrestling is also not something you can do alone. Matthew 26:39 tells us that Jesus found a quiet space, fell face down in prayer with the Father, and wrestled over his calling. It was raw, real, and revealing of the internal wrestle going on in his soul.

I believe this gives us absolute permission to be raw, real, and revealing of our wrestling emotions. It’s ok to doubt, and it’s ok to feel like throwing in the towel. It’s ok to feel what we feel. There will be times when everything inside of us feels like giving up. The key in all of this is to permit ourselves to wrestle through those emotions.

Wrestling is part of the process that brings us to healing and release. So my encouragement to you when you are feeling overwhelmed and ready to give up is to push into the arms of the Father and wrestle out your emotions, questions, disappointments, frustrations, and fears. We all have a calling from the Father, and wrestling in His arms is our safest place.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS:

• Do you ever struggle with a feeling of guilt when considering giving up?
• What overwhelms you most about your calling?

PRAY

Lord, hear my heart as I wrestle these emotions with you. I pray I grow in a more profound knowledge of your heart. Remind me about the plans you have for me. Help me never lose sight of you.

Scriptures: Matthew 26:40-46, Matthew 25:21

REPEAT UNTIL YOU RISE

There is no magic pill in life! There is no quick fix to anything. Putting in the time to do consistent, healthy practices is key to the journey of life. Jesus repeated this whole process of revealing and wrestling three times. When a person is in turmoil, it takes a while to get to a place of clarity. So allowing ourselves to stay in the process and repeat it if necessary is healthy. Keep working the steps until you can rise above calamity to face your calling confidently and clearly.

In Matthew 26:46, we see Jesus rising and walking straight toward His betrayer. The fruit of wrestling this process is that we see truth rise above tensions, calling rise above calamity, and boldness of love rise above the betrayer. Jesus had confidence, bravery, and steadfastness in His spirit as He faced His betrayer. I believe this came from the clarity of calling and faith in the one who called Him.

May you never allow life’s weariness, tensions, and calamity to pull you away from your gifting and calling. Regardless if you are called to be a pastor or a parent, my prayer as you follow in the steps of Jesus is that you will keep rising through every valley to one day hear the words, “well done my good and faithful servant.”

PRAY

Lord, help me never to lose sight of what you have called me to. Help me hold tightly to your truth as an anchor for my soul. Help me fix my eyes on you as a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.