Finding Rest in A Tumultuous World

Confused, angry, bitter, afraid, saddened, worried. These are the emotions many are experiencing here in America. Understandable, as there’s a lot happening in our culture: riots, looting, shootings, a pandemic, theft, political upheaval, the devaluing of life. It’s disconcerting to say the least, and our hearts cry out for justice, peace, order, fairness, and an ear to hear us.

What has always amazed me about America is that we have the right to say our piece. We enjoy freedom of speech. But it would appear at times that though we speak, nobody listens. Though we cry, nobody sees. Though we vote, it doesn’t seem to make a difference. Though we long for justice, true justice is delayed. Though we crave order, we read and view accounts of chaos every day of the week. At times, we come face to face with the chaos. Though we lobby for fairness, everything seems inequitable.

Scripture says all creation groans. (Rom. 8:22). And Matthew Henry has this to say about that passage: 

The sufferings of the saints strike no deeper than the things of time, last no longer than the present time, are light afflictions, and but for a moment. How vastly different are the sentence of the word and the sentiment of the world, concerning the suffering of this present time! Indeed the whole creation seems to wait with earnest expectation for the period when the children of God shall be manifested in the glory prepared for them. There is an impurity, deformity, and infirmity, which has come upon the creature by the fall of man. There is an enmity of one creature to another. And they are used, or abused rather, by men as instruments of sin. Yet this deplorable state of the creation is in hope. God will deliver it from thus being held in bondage to man’s depravity. The miseries of the human race, though their own and each other’s wickedness, declare that the world is not always to continue as it is. Our having received the first-fruits of the Spirit, quickens our desires, encourages our hopes, and raises our expectations. Sin has been, and is, the guilty cause of all the suffering that exists in the creation of God. It has brought on the woes of earth; it has kindled the flames of hell. As to man, not a tear has been felt, in body or mind, that has not come from sin. This is not all; sin is to be looked at as it affects the glory of God. Of this for fearfully regardless are the bulk of mankind. Believers have been brought into a state of safety; but their comfort consists rather in hope than in enjoyment. From this hope they cannot be turned by the vain expectation of finding satisfaction in the things of time and sense. We need patience, our way is rough and long; but He that shall come, will come, though he seems to tarry. 

Three things that stand out to me in his commentary: 

First, the unrest we are seeing is due to the fall of man. Adam and Eve fell first, but we, sons of Adam and daughters of Eve, have followed suit. We are either afflicted because of our own failures to live up to God’s standards, or because of the failure of others to live up to God’s standards. A sinless world wouldn’t consist of death, imperfection, and unrest. That was the promise in the Garden of Eden that was given to Adam and Eve, but they bypassed that offer and went their own way, as have we. Today, we still see discord and death because sin is still very much part of humanity. 

Not exactly comforting, but it at least offers an explanation for current events.

Second, God delivers us from sin, and replaces it with hope. In other words, the fact that we’ve fallen and are reaping what we’ve sown is not the end of the story. We have, as Christians, the power to turn from sin and instead place our trust and hope in God, and His Son, Jesus Christ. As Christians, we’ve already done that, right? But the putting away of sin isn’t a one time event. It’s a lifetime of weeding it out by the root, lest it continue to blossom and grow and take hold, choking out our Lifesource. Likewise, hoping in God is not a one time event. We must be doing this daily, hourly, by the minute if necessary, to get the strength to carry on in a world turned upside down, and to see things as they truly are: desperate, but temporary.

Third, we must have patience. As Matthew Henry said … our way is rough and long. On one hand, we acknowledge that truth and as His creation, we do indeed groan. On the other hand, our afflictions, in light of eternity, are light, and but for a moment. This is to say that when we get to Heaven, we will look back at what’s gone on in the world and wonder why we burned holes in our stomachs worrying about what God had under control the entire time. 

A friend reminded me a few days ago that we have to keep our eyes on the big picture. I’m a small picture girl. I naturally see the bug’s eye view and am relatively blind to the bird’s eye view. I have to work at remembering that the small, seemingly insignificant work that I do, God uses for His glory. I have to strive to remember that what I see happening on this earth isn’t the end of the story. I have to make a concerted effort to look to Christ more than I look at world events. All this takes time and discipline, continual hope, and faith that God is who He says He is and will do as He’s promised. 

I love Corrie ten Boom’s outlook: 

If you look at the world, you’ll be distressed. If you look within, you’ll be depressed. If you look at God, you’ll be at rest. 

Whether we’re living through a loud, hostile political environment, a lifetime of sin and consequences, or some other deafening, threatening event, Corrie has it right. The only way to find rest in a tumultuous world is to look up. 

And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. (Luke 21:28)

**Photo by Guille Álvarez on Unsplash