7 Keys To Navigate Chaos
Words can be hard...
If you were tasked with saying 3 things which were nice, redeeming, kind, endearing, or encouraging about a close friend, or loving parent, inspiring teacher, boss or coach, you would probably have a hard time only sharing 3. But what if it was your competition, or someone you vehemently disagreed with everything they are and stand for? What if it was for your enemy? What if you had to praise someone who has harmed you? Could you come up with 3 actually nice things?
Recently both Presidential candidates were tasked with coming up with 3 nice things about the other candidate. They both were only able to come up with 1. To be fair, one candidate did come up with 3, but the other two were quickly turned into insults, so truly they both settled for one. Kudos for trying I guess.
It was at least admirable that one of the candidates recognized they didn't actually know the other candidate. I wonder how their answers, and maybe the entire campaign process, might be different if the major party candidates actually sat down for dinner. No cameras, no microphones, no media. Just a meal, and their task was simply to ask the other genuine questions about who they are and why they do what they do. I would never assume they would agree after that, but I would hope they might at least be able to say 2 o r 3 nice things about one another.
In the chaos that is election season, we're all told to pick sides. Both candidates and their respective party leaders have said if the other side wins it will be the end of democracy as we know it. Both parties have campaigned from a position that the other side isn't merely wrong, nor are they simply expressing an opinion, rather that the other side is inherently evil and dangerous.
Sadly, this attitude has crept into much of our daily lives as Americans. We have lost the ability to love one another in disagreement. We have replaced segregation based on skin color, for opinions. When our African American brothers and sisters were being vilified by their skin color, the church wasn't exempt. Some church leaders claimed they were fallen angels, and that's why their skin was darkened. It's pure evil to allow division like this to exist among us, especially when we do it in the name of the one who came to unite the whole world to Himself.
As believers, we have a responsibility to steer through chaos, not add to it.
So how do we navigate the chaos of division when everyone around us seems to find comfort in it? Here are seven keys that can help you navigate through the chaos and be a source of hope in a world that is craving it.
1. Be Curious
Have any of you ever found yourself in an argument going nowhere? More than likely, it's because neither side actually cares what the other person is saying, they are simply looking for a way to make their point.
Instead of fighting to win the argument, fight to win a relationship. Ask questions and get curious. When people feel genuinely heard, they tend to genuinely listen.
Proverbs 17:28 Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive."
2. Be Quiet
One of my favorite verses is Exodus 14:14, "The Lord will fight for you, you need only to be still." I've rested in that verse through many adversities. As I've studied that verse throughout the years, I was a little shocked when the I learned how this phrase "need only to be still" is used in its common vernacular. Essentially God is saying "I'll handle this, sit down and shut up."
Many of us can't be quiet in chaos because we're too busy complaining about others and trying to manage what only God can handle. Sometimes the best solution is to sit down and shut up.
How many fights could be avoided in your marriage or relationships if, in the heat of the argument, rather than raising your voice, you sat down and shut your mouth for a moment? Then, as you collected your thoughts, you prayed silently for God to bring peace in the chaos? I think more of us should sit down and shut up--I mean, "only be still"--more often, and allow the Lord to fight for us.
3. Be Honest
My mom would tell me, "If you don't have anything nice to say, it's better to not say anything at all." Your mom might have said that too. When I didn't have anything nice to say, what I didn't realize is that it revealed an issue with me more than the other person.
Proverbs 17:20 He who has a deceitful heart finds no good, And he who has a perverse tongue falls into evil.
If I'm honest, when I really don't like someone or can't say anything good about them, it's because I don't want to give them a redeeming inch. I'd rather be deceitful about someone's character than admit there could be a hope of redemption for them.
Instead, speak to the image of God within a person. Find the good. Call out the image of God you see within them. It is amazing how a relationship can shift when you begin to consistently speak life into someone. You just might call out something they've never seen within them.
4. Be Hope-filled
One of the many things I admire about my wife is that no matter how bad things are, she genuinely rests with peace when she says, "I'm not worried about that, the Lord will work it out when the time comes". We can be talking about the most challenging of circumstances, but her hope isn't in a doctor, a job, a boss, or leader, her hope is in the One who works all things for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28).
Our world needs to see men and women of God who aren't being thrown by chaos, but whose faith is actually grown in chaos.
5. Be Alone
We are inundated with opinions, thoughts, ideas, ads, commercials, events, and everyone else's needs and wants of the moment. You have to have time to be alone. Shut off the phone. Set a "Do Not Disturb Time" and be cut off from the world. Not every text or phone call is important. Not everyone needs an immediate response. If you feel the urge to text someone, or call someone, it could be a signal that you actually need to pray. Get alone with God daily. Pray often. If you don't take time to get alone with God, you're simply adding to the noise of the chaos.
One of the most revealing, and honestly brutal, things for me is glancing at my "Screen Time" report on my phone. This report tells me how many times I pick my phone up, how long I am in certain apps, and how long I am on my phone in general. It can be convicting, but it's an accountability that I need to remind me that although the world is at my fingertips, my God is nearer still.
Be alone with God, and you will lead others to God. Allow others to occupy all your time, and chaos will lead your life.
6. Be Present
When you're with people, give them your attention. Kids know when you're there--and when you're not. Ever wonder why your kid goes crazy every time you pick up your phone? Because you're with them, but your mind is somewhere else. Being present takes intentionality. This is something I'm working on, but it is absolutely vital. Being present is showing up in someone's life with the love of Jesus.
When we see the story of Zacchaeus, it wasn't what Jesus said that changed Zacchaeus, it was Jesus caring enough about Zacchaeus to see Him, engage with him and be present with him. Zacchaeus was lost, but was found, not by debate but by presence.
Being present with people is treating the person in front of you as worthy of the blood which Jesus gave to save them. When you're home, be home. When someone gives you a moment of their time, cherish it. Treat each person as valuable to you as they are to Jesus.
7. Be Generous
Often when we think of generosity we think of finances, and absolutely we should be generous financially. But what we miss is that generosity isn't a certain dollar amount. Generosity can be a small gift with meaning. Generosity can be a cup of coffee. Generosity can be the cost of a handwritten card. Generosity can be time and attention.
Be generous with people. Be generous with your words, blessing people with kindness. Be generous in your relationships, rather than being someone who is always taking and needing something from someone. Be generous looking for ways to bless your friends and coworkers. Be generous with the way you speak to your waiter and with their tip. Be generous to your neighbors, finding needs and meeting them.
Generosity is not an act of giving, but a way of living.
A generous person lives a generous life. They're looking to bless others because they're secure in the hands of a generous God. They make deposits within people because they live in an overflow. They're not anxious or insecure but faith-filled and eager to bless. Generous people live with eyes and hearts wide open, ready for who God might lead them to next.
1 Peter 3:15 "always be ready to give an defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you."
Do people see hope when they look at you? Do you have to defend your hope in a world that sees chaos as normal? Which of the 7 Keys do you need to start implementing to open the door on the peace of God in your life and be a source of hope to the world?
I'm working on these. I pray you will too. Let's be people that navigate chaos rather than add to it. Let us be people who are set apart to bring hope to a world engulfed by chaos.
Recently both Presidential candidates were tasked with coming up with 3 nice things about the other candidate. They both were only able to come up with 1. To be fair, one candidate did come up with 3, but the other two were quickly turned into insults, so truly they both settled for one. Kudos for trying I guess.
It was at least admirable that one of the candidates recognized they didn't actually know the other candidate. I wonder how their answers, and maybe the entire campaign process, might be different if the major party candidates actually sat down for dinner. No cameras, no microphones, no media. Just a meal, and their task was simply to ask the other genuine questions about who they are and why they do what they do. I would never assume they would agree after that, but I would hope they might at least be able to say 2 o r 3 nice things about one another.
In the chaos that is election season, we're all told to pick sides. Both candidates and their respective party leaders have said if the other side wins it will be the end of democracy as we know it. Both parties have campaigned from a position that the other side isn't merely wrong, nor are they simply expressing an opinion, rather that the other side is inherently evil and dangerous.
Sadly, this attitude has crept into much of our daily lives as Americans. We have lost the ability to love one another in disagreement. We have replaced segregation based on skin color, for opinions. When our African American brothers and sisters were being vilified by their skin color, the church wasn't exempt. Some church leaders claimed they were fallen angels, and that's why their skin was darkened. It's pure evil to allow division like this to exist among us, especially when we do it in the name of the one who came to unite the whole world to Himself.
As believers, we have a responsibility to steer through chaos, not add to it.
So how do we navigate the chaos of division when everyone around us seems to find comfort in it? Here are seven keys that can help you navigate through the chaos and be a source of hope in a world that is craving it.
1. Be Curious
Have any of you ever found yourself in an argument going nowhere? More than likely, it's because neither side actually cares what the other person is saying, they are simply looking for a way to make their point.
Instead of fighting to win the argument, fight to win a relationship. Ask questions and get curious. When people feel genuinely heard, they tend to genuinely listen.
Proverbs 17:28 Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive."
2. Be Quiet
One of my favorite verses is Exodus 14:14, "The Lord will fight for you, you need only to be still." I've rested in that verse through many adversities. As I've studied that verse throughout the years, I was a little shocked when the I learned how this phrase "need only to be still" is used in its common vernacular. Essentially God is saying "I'll handle this, sit down and shut up."
Many of us can't be quiet in chaos because we're too busy complaining about others and trying to manage what only God can handle. Sometimes the best solution is to sit down and shut up.
How many fights could be avoided in your marriage or relationships if, in the heat of the argument, rather than raising your voice, you sat down and shut your mouth for a moment? Then, as you collected your thoughts, you prayed silently for God to bring peace in the chaos? I think more of us should sit down and shut up--I mean, "only be still"--more often, and allow the Lord to fight for us.
3. Be Honest
My mom would tell me, "If you don't have anything nice to say, it's better to not say anything at all." Your mom might have said that too. When I didn't have anything nice to say, what I didn't realize is that it revealed an issue with me more than the other person.
Proverbs 17:20 He who has a deceitful heart finds no good, And he who has a perverse tongue falls into evil.
If I'm honest, when I really don't like someone or can't say anything good about them, it's because I don't want to give them a redeeming inch. I'd rather be deceitful about someone's character than admit there could be a hope of redemption for them.
Instead, speak to the image of God within a person. Find the good. Call out the image of God you see within them. It is amazing how a relationship can shift when you begin to consistently speak life into someone. You just might call out something they've never seen within them.
4. Be Hope-filled
One of the many things I admire about my wife is that no matter how bad things are, she genuinely rests with peace when she says, "I'm not worried about that, the Lord will work it out when the time comes". We can be talking about the most challenging of circumstances, but her hope isn't in a doctor, a job, a boss, or leader, her hope is in the One who works all things for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28).
Our world needs to see men and women of God who aren't being thrown by chaos, but whose faith is actually grown in chaos.
5. Be Alone
We are inundated with opinions, thoughts, ideas, ads, commercials, events, and everyone else's needs and wants of the moment. You have to have time to be alone. Shut off the phone. Set a "Do Not Disturb Time" and be cut off from the world. Not every text or phone call is important. Not everyone needs an immediate response. If you feel the urge to text someone, or call someone, it could be a signal that you actually need to pray. Get alone with God daily. Pray often. If you don't take time to get alone with God, you're simply adding to the noise of the chaos.
One of the most revealing, and honestly brutal, things for me is glancing at my "Screen Time" report on my phone. This report tells me how many times I pick my phone up, how long I am in certain apps, and how long I am on my phone in general. It can be convicting, but it's an accountability that I need to remind me that although the world is at my fingertips, my God is nearer still.
Be alone with God, and you will lead others to God. Allow others to occupy all your time, and chaos will lead your life.
6. Be Present
When you're with people, give them your attention. Kids know when you're there--and when you're not. Ever wonder why your kid goes crazy every time you pick up your phone? Because you're with them, but your mind is somewhere else. Being present takes intentionality. This is something I'm working on, but it is absolutely vital. Being present is showing up in someone's life with the love of Jesus.
When we see the story of Zacchaeus, it wasn't what Jesus said that changed Zacchaeus, it was Jesus caring enough about Zacchaeus to see Him, engage with him and be present with him. Zacchaeus was lost, but was found, not by debate but by presence.
Being present with people is treating the person in front of you as worthy of the blood which Jesus gave to save them. When you're home, be home. When someone gives you a moment of their time, cherish it. Treat each person as valuable to you as they are to Jesus.
7. Be Generous
Often when we think of generosity we think of finances, and absolutely we should be generous financially. But what we miss is that generosity isn't a certain dollar amount. Generosity can be a small gift with meaning. Generosity can be a cup of coffee. Generosity can be the cost of a handwritten card. Generosity can be time and attention.
Be generous with people. Be generous with your words, blessing people with kindness. Be generous in your relationships, rather than being someone who is always taking and needing something from someone. Be generous looking for ways to bless your friends and coworkers. Be generous with the way you speak to your waiter and with their tip. Be generous to your neighbors, finding needs and meeting them.
Generosity is not an act of giving, but a way of living.
A generous person lives a generous life. They're looking to bless others because they're secure in the hands of a generous God. They make deposits within people because they live in an overflow. They're not anxious or insecure but faith-filled and eager to bless. Generous people live with eyes and hearts wide open, ready for who God might lead them to next.
1 Peter 3:15 "always be ready to give an defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you."
Do people see hope when they look at you? Do you have to defend your hope in a world that sees chaos as normal? Which of the 7 Keys do you need to start implementing to open the door on the peace of God in your life and be a source of hope to the world?
I'm working on these. I pray you will too. Let's be people that navigate chaos rather than add to it. Let us be people who are set apart to bring hope to a world engulfed by chaos.
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I love this:
n
nGenerosity is not an act of giving, but a way of living.
n
nA generous person lives a generous life. They're looking to bless others because they're secure in the hands of a generous God. They make deposits within people because they live in an overflow. They're not anxious or insecure but faith-filled and eager to bless. Generous people live with eyes and hearts wide open, ready for who God might lead them to next.