If you find yourself in a season of chaos, let me first tell you that I understand completely. I have found myself in such a season, and it is not for the faint of heart.
Yet even in these challenging times, we have an unique opportunity to put our faith into action. There is something about living in chaos which grants us the chance to fiercely preach truth to our hearts.
It takes only a simple, intentional mind-shift to get started:
My chaos ⇒ God’s character ⇒ My courage
It’s all too easy to slip into self-pity over our circumstances. We’ll find our complaints and concerns play like a ticker-tape over and over again in our minds. But we do have a choice: we can set aside that constant, depressing broken record. We can choose to meditate instead on God’s character, to reflect upon his nature instead of our need to be nurtured in the moment.
[bctt tweet=”We find the courage to endure as we sift our chaos through God’s character.”]
By flipping the switch in our thinking, we take our thoughts captive and begin to turn our eyes outward. Rehearsing the attributes and character of God, when empowered by the Holy Spirit, is what activates our faith to such a degree that we begin to find the courage to endure.
Life-Changing Truths About God to Commit to Memory
In his book, You Can Change: God’s Transforming Power for Our Sinful Behavior and Negative Emotions, author Tim Chester outlines four key life-changing truths about God that are critical for enabling lasting heart transformation in Christ.
“I suggested that underlying all our sinful behaviour and negative emotions is a failure to believe one of these truths at a functional level,” Chester explains. “Embracing, believing, trusting, delighting in the appropriate liberating truth therefore has the power to set us free from sin – though we need to recognize that this typically involves a daily struggle – the fight of faith.”
When we are fighting against our grumbling, complaining, anger, bitterness, and frustration—especially in seasons of chaos—we need truth outside our circumstances that doesn’t ebb and flow with the times or the tides. This transformational truth is only to be found in the unchanging character of God as revealed in his infallible Scriptures. To this extent, Chester offers the following points:
- God is great — so we don’t have to be in control.
- God is glorious — so we don’t have to fear others.
- God is good — so we don’t have to look elsewhere.
- God is gracious — so we don’t have to prove ourselves.
By reflecting on these truths, our perspective on the chaos is elevated to heavenly heights. We are able to sift our circumstances through the funnel of the gospel, and as a result, we begin to focus in on the reality of who God is and who we are in Christ. It is these truths that have the power to snap us out of wrong thinking patterns and into a position of proper worship and thanksgiving in all circumstances.
Resources for Moving from Chaos to Courage by Reflecting on God’s Character
If you’ve been around my blog for a while, you know that I often equip my readers with the same tools that I use to exercise my own (sometimes mustard seed-sized) faith. Because I take the time to create these things for my use, I want to also share them as resources for the benefit of others who may face similar battles.
I want to get better at setting aside my chaos to instead meditate on the character of God, and by doing so, I believe the Scriptures and the Spirit will work wonders in my heart over time. But that’s not just for me — it’s for anyone who trusts in Christ and wants to cooperate with the Lord’s plan for sanctification in their lives (which always includes walking through chaotic, challenging circumstances).
I have created 4 phone lock screens to place these truths at my fingertips, and I’d like to offer them to you as free downloads. You can easily adjust them to fit your particular phone screen! Click below to download:
God is great • God is glorious • God is good • God is gracious
You can cycle through these lock screens daily until you’ve memorized all four, or keep them saved in your photos to reference when chaos sets in. In addition to these lock screens, here are some other resources you may find helpful pertaining to this article:
The Four G’s | Videos from the Soma Family of Churches
5 Steps to Fighting Emotional Strongholds | Original Blog Post
Stop Struggling, Start Fighting | Podcast Interview
30 Days of Praying the Names and Attributes of God | Free Printable
The Attributes of God | Gospel in Life Tim Keller Sermon Series
Experiencing the Trinity: The Grace of God for the People of God by Joe Thorn
The Courage You Need in Life’s Uncertainty | Desiring God Blog
Hurting People Need to Know the Character of God | Desiring God Blog
The Battle for Your Mind | Desiring God 2010 National Conference Video