The Power of Response
Someone once told me that life is 10% what happens to you, and 90% how you respond.
I don’t have to recap what is happening in the world right now to state that something has happened to us. However, as individuals we have a choice on how we are going to respond to this. I have learned that if we let it trauma will steal our identity. It will tell us that we are victims, not sons and daughters of God. When we choose to sit in the misery of our circumstance, we are choosing victimhood.
(I don’t say this to minimize the trauma that has happened across or world, nation, and especially my city. There are people who were or are victims of the tornados, of COVID-19. I have sat with homeowners as they dug through the rubble of their home. They were victims of a circumstance, and I watched as they grieved. However, there is a difference between being a victim of a circumstance and placing your identity in victimhood.)
This victimhood leads to a powerlessness.
Powerlessness pretends that life is 90% percent what happens to you, and only 10% of your life is due to how you responded.
The biggest problem with powerlessness is that we adopt orphanhood and distance ourselves from the greatness of our Good Father. Instead of looking at what is possible with an all-powerful Dad, we limit our expectations to what we believe we can control…which if we are operating in this mindset is very little. Ultimately, it looks like grasping at straws.
Powerlessness is what has brought so many of us to self-preservation.
Everyone living has seen and heard stories of people whose goal became self-preservation. I don’t care to recount them here. Instead, I would like to share a story of generosity.
Last night I was on a video call with some friends. We are all self quarantined separately but decided that it would be fun to hang out. One of my friends shared how she felt like God was asking her to be generous in the midst of her need. I loved hearing her heart and was very inspired. Later in the call she shared how there were household supplies that she was not able to purchase at the store (they had sold out.) Without hesitation, two people on the call jumped to share what they had.
Let’s break this down. People felt lonely and isolated, so they did something about it, they scheduled a call with friends. An individual chooses to bring her situation to God, her Good Father. He responded with encouraging her to walk in the opposite spirit of those around her. She did, and her needs were met by the very people that she powerfully brought together.
When our goal is self-preservation we will compromise our morals or beliefs.
We will justify our behavior because our goal has changed. I am not saying that everyone is going to be tempted to go out robbing grocery stores.
For most of us, it will be harder to spot than that. Our value for joy and peace will be traded in for worry because our goal has shifted. Our belief that God is good will faulter because we all we are choosing to see is darkness. We will shut down generosity and hospitality instead of getting creative with it. We will choose fear over wisdom because it’s an immediate response to what we are experiencing around us. Some of us who are normally inquisitive and love to research will ignore all recommendations from the CDC because our hearts are trying to preserve themselves.
We must repent of the ways we missed it and then choose something else.
Rediscover your identity as a son or daughter of God.
Find scriptures that speak to identity and speak them out. Imagine a good dad, how would he work out your circumstance for your good? Father God loves to give good gifts. He loves to work in the midst of difficult circumstances. (Matthew 7:7-11, Romans 8:28, Romans 8:31-39)
Use this time to draw close to God.
So many people treat God light an emergency kit in the trunk of the car. They live their lives, and when stuff happens, they pull Him out. If you resonate with that, this is an opportunity to establish something new.
You ARE POWERFUL! You get to choose how you are going to fill your weeks.
Trauma destroys order, so be intentional. Put order back into your life. This can look like creating a schedule, connecting with your children, organizing your home, planning virtual activities with friends.
It’s not just about what you do, but also what you are listening to. Worship has been going on in my home pretty much 24/7 the last week. I am reading scripture out loud. It is establishing right order in my home. It brings peace and reminds me of the truth. You can join me and start with Psalms like: Psalm 146, Psalm 36:5-9, Psalm 117, and Psalm 91.
Ask God what He has for you for the next couple of weeks. My plans were to be in Puerto Rico, Michigan, Dallas and back to Michigan between now and April. All of those trips and have been cancelled. Instead, I am filling my weeks with a long-time dream of mine. Something that will change my life and ministry. I am full of hope and expectancy.
Be Generous
Generosity doesn’t have to look like giving away money or groceries. It can look like going the extra mile for a family member or a roommate who is having a hard time. It can look like calling a single person who is home alone. It can look like choosing to do an activity with someone you are with that you wouldn’t normally choose to do. It can look like sending thoughtful texts. It can also look like leaving generous tips, paying for the car behind you in the drive through, leaving groceries on someone’s door.
The world is different right now, and that’s okay.
I am learning the importance of realistic expectations in my life. I have been for months, and this seems like another opportunity. It is not realistic for me to think that I won’t have lonely moments. Wisdom looks like preparing in ways that I don’t normally prepare. Parents might have the unique challenge of having the kids home all the time. It’s probably not realistic to think that your house is going to be its normal level of clean (or quiet!)
In all of this, you are not alone. I am spending extra time in prayer over the next couple of weeks. If you have a prayer request, please let me know. I would love to add it to my list.