"Unsettled?"

I’ve got a friend who’s feeling a little “unsettled” today. When I inquired as to why or what she was feeling “unsettled” about, she confided it surrounded something in her past…a decision made, she voiced, to be extremely out of character….a choice she regrets and one that makes her physically feel sick…

I was reading in Matthew 8:18-27…
"When Jesus saw that a curious crowd was growing by the minute, he told his disciples to get him out of there to the other side of the lake. As they left, a religion scholar asked if he could go along. “I’ll go with you, wherever,” he said. Jesus was curt: “Are you ready to rough it? We’re not staying in the best inns, you know.” Another follower said, “Master, excuse me for a couple of days, please. I have my father’s funeral to take care of.” Jesus refused. “First things first. Your business is life, not death. Follow me. Pursue life.”

Then he got in the boat, his disciples with him. The next thing they knew, they were in a severe storm. Waves were crashing into the boat—and he was sound asleep! They roused him, pleading, “Master, save us! We’re going down!” Jesus reprimanded them. “Why are you such cowards, such faint-hearts?” Then he stood up and told the wind to be silent, the sea to quiet down: “Silence!” The sea became smooth as glass. The men rubbed their eyes, astonished. “What’s going on here? Wind and sea come to heel at this command!”

I look around with complete acknowledgement that God, with awesome power, creativity and wisdom, created all of nature and humanity, but often give little thought to the fact that I fall into that category. I give little thought to the fact that He carefully and uniquely created me. Without conscious effort in thought, I easily dismiss this. However, the God of the universe created me, breathing my life into existence.

As our maker/ our creator, God knew every decision we would ever make, yet He still chose to create us. While we can certainly bring Him much grief, pain and sorrow, He takes great delight in us and we bring Him much pleasure.

There are several things that catch my attention in this scripture but there are 2 things which initially grabbed my attention. The first is Christ’ words. “First things first. Your business is life, not death. Follow me. Pursue life.” …and the second is the fact that for the disciples, an unexpected storm blew in while they were in this boat on the Sea of Galilee.

The regrets in our past which we have sought forgiveness for are “dead”. Christ has “cast them as far as the east is from the west”…He “remembers them no more”! Jesus says, “our business is life, not death”…with these being the words of our Lord, we can believe them to be truth!

In our flesh, it can be extremely difficult to let go of the regrets we carry…but we’re not meant to carry these regrets. Much like we prune the dead or dying limbs of a plant or tree in order for fresh growth to spring forth, we must allow the same to be done in our lives. If the dead limbs aren’t pruned, growth is stunted. So it is true in our own lives! If we don’t release and allow the regrets, mistakes---“death”, to be pruned from our lives, how can we spring forth with new growth for Christ.

“Follow me. Pursue life”…if we’re clinging to the “dead” how can we follow Him and pursue life? We can’t! What are the signs of life? Having recently returned from Uganda, when I close my eyes and think about this question, my senses are awakened with sounds of an African drum, children singing, voices laughing...a sweet angelic voice of an orphan announcing she’s from “America”...in great hopes of one day truly being from America.

My sense of smell is awakened with the smell of dry, dusty, dirt roads as well as the smell of wood and coal burning fires, producing the smells of local African foods being cooked on an open fire. Of all my senses, “touch” is the one most important to me. The power of touch is unlike any other, as it has the power to communicate what words can never convey.

The signs of life can often be messy but it’s active and engaging…quite opposite of “death” which is dormant and stale and often produces a stench capable of making one feel sick…much like what my friend was feeling this morning as she thought of her regrets…

In the midst of “following Christ and engaging in life” storms can blow up in our lives. We can be blindsided with the most unexpected things at times. However, it’s important for us to remember there is another force which exists. This “force” works day and night to knock us off balance…to divert our attention…to pull us off our charted course of pursuing “life”…and our act of “following Christ and pursing life”…this force likes to attack us in our areas of weakness and can come in the form of guilt, regret, shame, doubt, feelings of unworthiness, etc…

While the disciples were seen as being “faint hearted” and cowards…they knew the source to run to…”Jesus”. While Jesus was a little disappointed with their “unbelief” and doubt regarding their safety, Jesus quickly took control of the storm which had blown in, leaving the disciples perplexed at the power in the very voice of Christ’ commands to the winds and waves.

What are your “winds and waves” today? Are you in complete peace regardless of their force and size or do you need to “arouse” Him and plead for His intervention?

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27