Finding Calm in the Chaos of Change
Change is inevitable, right? So you would think it would be something we would just adjust to, accept, and then go on to the rest of our lives. And if you’re anything like me, that’s what you’d like to do. But it just doesn’t seem to happen that way. Like when we were moving from overseas with a two year old in tow, another one on the way, no idea when our furniture would arrive or what our apartment would be like back in the states. We did know the apartment would not be ready for us for several weeks. And even then, our belongings would still be in transit. So we were living out of suitcases, grieving the friends we’d left behind, and visiting family we hadn’t seen in some time. Then, all of a sudden, I found myself in the hospital having emergency surgery and losing the little one we were so anticipating. More grief. Nothing was stable. Everything was changing too quickly and I just couldn’t keep up. I wanted all that was changing around me to stop long enough for me to emotionally, physically and spiritually catch up. Truly, the chaos of change was stealing my calm.
Have you been there? Have you found yourself dealing with so many changes at once that before you knew it, you were completely out of kilter. Maybe you were becoming irritable or depressed. Maybe you started trying to eat your way out of the anxiety. Maybe you’re even there right now. I totally understand. And so does God.
The Biblical Perspective.
You see, God is outside of time. He is with us through all of our circumstances–past, present and future. He is seeing a different picture of our lives than we are seeing from within our circumstances. Yet, He still understands. How is that possible? That’s because He came to earth in the form of man, yet fully God, in Christ Jesus. He did this, not only to provide for our salvation and reconciliation with God, but also to experience all that time and change could bring to one man. If we consider all the changes Jesus encountered, it is much easier to see that He, as our Savior and the One who speaks to God the Father on our behalf, truly understands our difficulty when change assaults us. Jesus was loved by many, hated by many, accepted, rejected, constantly moved from place to place to minister to the needy, had no home of His own, and had friends who often did not understand Him, who even betrayed Him. He came from the riches of heaven to a broken world, and then died, rose from death and returned to heaven to live forever. That’s a lot of change to deal with!
God’s Purpose for Me.
In Matthew, chapter 11, Jesus speaks about the stress of changes. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
What is God’s main purpose for me when I am caught up in the chaos? He wants those circumstances to remind me to listen and draw closer to Jesus. He knows how wearisome life can be. And He doesn’t want me to handle it alone. He wants me to recognize that the chaos is not of Him, and that I need to submit my chaos burdened heart to Him by putting on His yoke. This yoke is fashioned by His understanding of my burden. So when I partner with Him in my circumstances, depending on Him to carry the load, He will give me rest. He takes over by carrying the load that keeps shifting on my small shoulders. And He shares His gentleness and humility with me, calming my soul and easing my stress.
A Practical Solution.
So how can I live in a life of purpose when I’m caught in the chaos of change?
First of all, remember that you are never alone. Jesus has already given you the invitation to depend on Him. (See Matthew 11:29 above.)
Second, spend time alone with God to focus on His unchanging character.
Malachi 3:6, “I the Lord do not change”
Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.”
Psalm 13:5, “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.”
Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all you ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.”
Lamentations 3:22-23, “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.”
Third, make a list of all the changes that are disturbing you. Then, one by one, in prayer, share them with the Lord. Ask Him to make it clear to you if there are any you can address, then address them. Lift the rest to Him, take on His peace and His humility, and let Him carry the burden. In other words, give your chaos to Him!
Fourth, tell your trusted Christian accountability partners about it. Lean on them for prayer support and encouragement.
Fifth, practice gratefulness in all things. It’s truly mood changing and spirit lifting when we live in gratitude for all the Lord has done for us. And it’s truly amazing that we cannot be sad or anxious when we are speaking words of thanks and gratitude to our Savior!
As I think back on how much change I encountered during those days of the move and the loss and all the unknowns at the time, I’m encouraged by the fact that our God is an unchanging God. He never failed me during those days. He surrounded me with His love, reminded me of His faithfulness and calmed the chaos as I kept my eyes on Him. I remember getting a card from friends after the loss of our little one. They had writtten Isaiah 43:1 on the bottom of the card. As soon as I could be alone, I looked up the verse. “But now, this is what the Lord says–He who created you, O Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you: I have called you by name; you are Mine.” ” And if we look beyond to the second and third verses, God promises to be with you in deep waters, floods and fires. You name it, He’ll be there. Bank on it, my friend. He’s got your back. So give Him the chaos in exchange for the calm.