Whether you’re seeing a storm brewing on the horizon or sitting in one currently wondering if it will ever go away, you’re not alone. Probably the most common question we ask when going through a storm is “is this thing ever going to end?”, and because of that question we begin to lose focus on why the storm is there. See every storm has a reason, it’s hard to focus on that because let’s face it who wants to be in a storm? Most, if not all of us would prefer a day in the upper 70’s with a light wind and blue skies as far as the eye can see. Nobody wants a day in the lower 50’s with a strong wind that knocks you off your feet so you can fall face first in the puddle that the torrential downpour has created. But if we are honest we learn more with our face in the puddle then relaxing in our hammock. The problem is we prefer to stay in the comfort of our hammock then go through even the lightest rain, why is that? Well it’s because of the 10th word in the last sentence, “comfort”. We miss out on so many opportunities to grow because all we want to be is comfortable. See when we are comfortable, we are in the familiar, we are, in a way capable of dictating the outcome, but in a storm it is the total opposite. We have no way of knowing when it will end. We are not in control of even our surroundings so we definitely wouldn’t be able to control the outcome. But there is one thing we can control in the storm; our attitudes. In the book of James he writes that we should be joyful when going through storms.
James 1:2-4
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
Our attitudes can dictate the lessons we learn in times of heartache. The attitude that most of us have during these times are mostly selfish. “Why me?” “Is this ever going to end?” Even our prayer life can be selfish during this period. Our prayers can be filled with whining and complaining but it can also be filled with us asking Him to lift this burden from us, and by us asking that, we are missing out on the growth opportunity that God has in store for us at the end of the storm. Again nobody wants to go through times of hardship but it is so necessary to growing as a believer because it challenges us to rely on God to provide through the storm rather than relying on ourselves. Because we will make mistakes, we will take wrong turns and we will certainly lead ourselves down the wrong road, why? Because believe it or not God is the only one that truly knows what is best for us. Apart from God’s divine intervention we will never fully understand the lesson in which could be learned from the midst of the storm.
There is one simple truth we need to hold onto when going through these times and that is, even though we may feel alone and the fog is too thick to see what’s ahead it does not change the fact that God is still there. That no matter the lie Satan tells us; He will never leave us. So rejoice, not in the fact that you are in a storm but rejoice in the truth that God has something incredible to show you. So don’t fear, there is no need for trembling and there is no need for giving up. For God is with you, and if you let Him, He’ll show you that there is no need to wonder what the storm is there for.
So whether you’re seeing a storm brewing on the horizon or sitting in one currently wondering if it will ever go away, keep pressing on and don’t look back for incredible days are in front of you.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Jas 1:2–4). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.
