I came to a crazy conclusion the other day. It wouldn't be so crazy if I didn't try to avoid thinking about it so often.
I am afraid
I am afraid—of the future, of not being in control. I am afraid of not knowing and I am afraid of not knowing what to do.
The idea of swimming in the darkness of ignorance terrifies me. I need a shore of surety, and I crave it.
The thing is—I have one. I just forget it all the time. I try to stand on earthly things instead. We all do. They seem so reliable when they can be seen and heard and felt.
When they shift and crumble I am, we are, usually, absurdly, surprised. But it shouldn't surprise us. Life must, because of its very nature, ebb and flow, change and move; the things of this world are passing.
In the midst of stress and trouble, when the things we rely on fail us, trusting God is our only reliable path.
We cannot trust the things of this world.
Trust Jesus alone—because our soul is required of us
Jesus, God, talks about this idea of trusting Him alone quite a lot. One particular story He tells is about a rich man and his barns, in Luke chapter 12, verse 16–21.
This rich man had a bountiful land and, when it produced well, he wondered what to do with all of it. He had so much from his crops he didn't know where to put it all, so he decided to build bigger and better barns.
Then he said to himself, "Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry."
God replied to his assessment, "Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?"
"So," Jesus says, "is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God."
Barns, earthly goods, relationships, and achievements, can't save us. They offer no security or protection now, and certainly won't at our judgment. So, when they crumble and fall, despite our best efforts to protect ourselves from fear of the future and not knowing, why are we surprised? Why am I surprised?
The writer of Ecclesiastes says that as we were born naked so we shall die naked and take nothing from all our work away with us (Ecclesiastes chapter 5, verse 15).
When we die and stand before God, helpless and bare, what will we say then?
Jesus Christ is the only solid rock to stand upon; He is our only shore of surety: unmoving and unchangeable. We can freely and confidently turn to Him because He is the foundation and resting place for everyone who believes and follows Him.
Irenie How was rescued from darkness by the grace of God when she was running away from Him. God showed her that He is the Lord and she wants you to know this too. She works as a graphic designer in Christchurch, New Zealand. Check out some of her work on Behance and drop her a line!
Irenie How's previous articles may be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/irenie-how.html