Photos courtesy of Unsplash
In the last month, we have witnessed the coronation of King Charles the 3rd and the ongoing devastation taking place in Ukraine. In addition, the aggressive acts of violence between Israeli and Palestinian forces continue. Shootings and violent crime are a regular part of life in the UK, and in the USA, mass shootings have become the norm, with over 200 in 2023 to date. These events, plus so many more, have a devastating effect on people's lives. People's hearts are failing them for fear, as the 'old book' says, Luke 21. 26.
I often speak to older people. They tell me that they are frightened after they've watched the news. They're anxious. They're worried about what's happening in the world. How do the events that you watch on the news or hear about in your town or neighbourhood affect you? Life can be traumatising and frightening, and many people don't know how to handle or deal with fear and the problems they face.
Some fear is generated because of uncertainty; sometimes, it's because we're out of control, and often it's the pace at which things happen. The other reaction is to be blasé, stick your head in the sand and pretend that nothing is going on. These reactions are not confined to world events - this is how we often respond to events in our lives. It might be in respect of your health, your finances or a relationship. Sometimes we convince ourselves that things will never happen or nothing will ever get worse, but then the reality hits us, and what we dreaded is happening.
How we live our lives is vitally important. There are principles that guide each one of us. These could be positive or negative guidelines by which we live our lives. If we will live by God’s principles, we can expect to see His favour and blessing. If we live by what ‘seems good to us’ it can often take us down a path we would later regret. Have you ever considered what are the principles by which you live your life? The earlier we discover and apply these, the better, but it is never too late to begin!
Somehow this coronavirus has changed nearly everything for us - working life, family contacts, church activities, shopping patterns and much more. We are really missing some of these, but we are learning to cope and are adapting remarkably well. When things get back to (more) normal, will we still benefit from the lessons we are learning just now?
We are learning that there are many things we can do without, and that many other things are more important than we thought, things that perhaps we have been taking for granted. For example:
