1God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 2Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.
(Psalm 46:1-2) Today’s word is all about recognizing and making space to feel whatever feelings you’ve got about your life. I don’t know about you, but I’ve observed that a lot of us have fairly complicated and pronounced feelings about our lives. We love our life. We hate our lives. We’re tired. We’re hopeful. We’re burnt out. We’re curious. Consider your own feelings in this season. I’ll also say that our collective relationship with work/ministry is well, rather complicated. Societal tells us to believe that work will be the place where we make sense of ourselves – the central vehicle that helps us know about our giftings, our passions, and our potential. So, if work isn’t going well, or we don’t have paid work, we wonder about who we are. Turns out, that’s a lot of pressure to put on work and it isn’t exactly biblical. Plus, it negates all the other contexts and relationships through which God is actively forming us for the work of God in the world. Today, we are living through a unique season of feelings about work – a season in which many people are thinking about or are actively quitting their jobs. Experts are calling this season The Great Resignation. Even if you’re not thinking about quitting, the overall shifts can feel pretty turbulent. The image that comes to mind is that of an earthquake. An earthquake comes, often unexpected, and we don’t quite know when it will end or what kind of damage will occur. The Good News is that God is very clear about where God is when things feel unstable. The psalmist says that God is a very present help in times of trouble. In this changing world of life and work, and especially in seasons of individual wrestling, God promises to be near to you. To hold you and love you. In this, we are sustained by the with-ness of God. And, because God promises to be near to us, fear doesn’t have to consume us. We can bring our fear, or any other big feelings we might have about work or about change, straight to God. Pursuing meaning in a changing world requires that we get really honest about our own feelings. And the safest, surest place to get honest about our feelings is with God, who draws near to us in times of need. Yes, there are times when the ground shifts beneath us. And, yes, there are times when our experiences don’t match our expectations. There are times when we flat out fail and all we feel is the tension between where we are now and where we want to be. But, through them all, making space for the big feelings we naturally have is central to the path forward with God. Oh God, my Gracious Father, thank You that You indeed show up in times of trouble, and when I’ve got a lot of big feelings. It is amazing that You, the God of all Creation, promise to be with me in my feelings about all of life. Thank You!! Comments are closed.
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