Through Christ our Comfort Overflows: Finding Peace in Times of Chaos

What a rollercoaster 2024 was. Headlines across the country spanned from:

• Assassination attempts to relentless election campaigning

• Devastating hurricanes to shipping strikes

• Antisemitism and war in Israel to rising interest rates and a failing economy

• Nationwide service outages to exposed corruption in the FBI/CIA

• Gender identity infiltrating public schools to the exposure of P. Diddy’s sex trafficking ring

The enemy can be seen infiltrating our country everywhere if we just turn on the news.

So turn it off. 

The enemy's home is here on Earth - with the goal of wreaking havoc on our anxieties, systems, society, and hearts for Jesus. 

With changing times, there may come some relief, but ultimately, the enemy will always find a way here. 

As we look to the days and year ahead, there is hope, but there are also a lot of unknowns for many Americans. There are bound to be more groundbreaking headlines that wound our heart and devastate our soul. There are bound to be great steps forward, but also horrific uncovering of truth and satanic work abound. It is in times like these that it is, and will be, easy to ask “Why does God allow this?” “What did we do individually or as a society to deserve this struggle?” 

We can ask why? We can question the ways of the Lord. There are plenty of instances in scripture of people asking why. What is important though is that when we ask why, we don’t forsake God or challenge His plan. 

We know from the book of Job that God is sovereign and just. We also know that suffering is part of the human experience - jump started by the first sin in Genesis 3. That is only expounded upon by the immense suffering that Job experiences when Satan takes all of his riches away. King Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 7 that God “made this [day] as well as the other.” He made joy, sadness, grief, anger, and suffering. In Lamentations the Israelites are experiencing great suffering, and we are taught that we are allowed to bring this to the Lord - that He wants to hear the qualms of our heart - that it deepens relationship with Him. 

Jesus is our redeemer. In all things, He extends us grace and mercy. He walks along side of us, and delivers us on the other side. Through this deliverance we can be rooted in ultimate comfort of His glory. Suffering and devastation may exist within the realm of this world - sometimes part of His plan - but more often the result of the enemies' work. Our calling as Believers is to remember that regardless of the suffering we are called to remain unwaveringly faithful. Through that faithfulness, we receive the ultimate gift of eternal life. 

“ For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 

When we are rooted in Christ it means we trust Him and His sovereign plan. Through that acceptance, we can calm our hearts in the chaos of this world. We can remind ourselves of His truth through intentional time reading the bible. We can deepen our relationship with Him through relational prayer. We can bring him our burdens, the worries of our heart, and the fears of the afflicted suffering world and He will carry them. 

We can take comfort in the eternal, unwavering, relentless love He has for us. 

2 Corinthians 1:3 says “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort.”

In his letter to the people at Corinth, Paul reminds the people that all of their struggles will be comforted through true devotion to God. Through that surrender, Christ himself will be our daily comfort. 

If you are currently in a personal season of suffering - afflicted by your own personal troubles or those of the world - remember that God is your “perfect peace that leads to a steadfast heart” (Isaiah 26:3).

If you are  walking along someone in suffering - either through a personal account or from the fallout of our world - remember to shine your light. Remember that “He comforts us in all our affliction so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction” (2 Corinthians 4)

We are called not only to find comfort in Christ, but to take the comfort that He gives us and extend that beyond to all those we encounter. Thus growing the compassion of the Lord.

We are called to be like Jesus. Jesus - who experienced ultimate suffering through crucifixion, alone on the cross. Jesus did this so that God’s grace, mercy, forgiveness, love, and comfort would be ours for eternity to have and thus share. 

As you experience the compassion of the Lord amongst the chaos of our world, go out and expound Christ’s light. 

The headlines of chaos will continue to swarm. Remember in these times to root your heart in Christ. Allow His peace and comfort to fill you. Then go out and reconcile others of their affliction and response to all of the suffering. 

Through coaching at Deep Roots Collective you can be provided a wide range of services from spiritual coaching to family and relationship coaching. Schedule a consultation today by clicking here. If you liked these tips remember to subscribe here!