Chaos Has Become Our Normal

Chaos has sadly become our new normal. When we have times of quiet and solitude we often feel uncomfortable with it. It feels foreign to us. We tell ourselves, “I need to be doing SOMETHING!” This is because it doesn’t feel natural to just be in the moment, because we are so used to rushing around, running here and there with our endless “to-do” lists.

I think the chaos absorbs our lives and minds so much that it becomes a part of us. We identify being busy with accomplishing things which then allows us to feel accomplished as individuals. It’s as though we are somehow better, or that we then matter,  because we knocked off a huge “to-do” list. This has become the mind set of many of us. I’ve found myself bragging about all the details of my everyday life that I’ve managed to somehow squeeze into one days time. The flip side of that is, when we are depleted and worn out, we also haven’t typically spent enough of our “to-do” time where we need it the most, with Jesus. I believe He yearns for us to be at rest. I believe He loves it when we let all the clutter fall away and seek Him in the silence. It’s in these moments that He speaks the loudest to us. It’s in those times we hear Him the most.

We are so attuned to running around accomplishing all our tasks and actually seek more things to add to tick off of our endless life check-list. We then unconsciously pat ourselves on the back for a job well done. The words in our heads are “I did everything on my list, and I got it all done before my head hit the pillow in sheer exhaustion. Or, “I didn’t get everything done today, so now I need to squeeze it into tomorrow’s long list.” How exhausting ! How sad that we all feel we must “do” to feel accomplished as individuals. How sad that when we finally find some precious quiet time, we spend it formulating new and more daunting tasks. Are we afraid to just be still? Are we frightened that if we don’t have some sort of ongoing check list to accomplish that we are less than? 

I remember in my early Math classes the equations with the >(less than), <(greater than), and =(equal) signs. Is that how we see ourselves? Either we are less than, greater than, or need to be equal? And if we don’t fit into either of these signs, we don’t matter, aren’t good enough, or we don’t measure up to our own or  everyone else’s standards? Maybe we should all just “be.” Maybe we should allow ourselves to see beyond the endless check lists and the rushing about, and remember whose we truly are. A child of God. A member of His Heavenly flock. We are so loved and valuable to Him just as we are in this very moment, void of any lists or deeds.

The Lord’s love for us never changes. No amount of accomplishments could ever change that. His desire is for us to seek Him, not more things to do, or ways to fill up every waking moment of our day. The Lord yearns for us to focus on Him, without distraction. The Lord loves when we we set aside our laundry list of “have-to-do’s” to spend quality time with Him. He patiently waits for us to lean into Him and be comforted by His great love for us.

What if we were to just wake each morning and ask this simple request, “Lord, please allow me to accomplish what YOU would have me accomplish today. Lord, use me as Your hands and feet upon this earth. I am your mouthpiece Lord, thank You for loving me so much that You would use me in such an amazing way!” And then spend some quiet time with Him. Soak in His eternal, unconditional love; reap the rewards of just being His child, and be immersed in His desires for you and what HE would have you accomplish. Doesn’t that feel like a relaxing way to begin your day? Doesn’t that sound like a peaceful way to awake?

I honestly detest running around in a frenzy trying to check all the boxes off my daunting, endless list of “to-do’s”. This is what causes us stress, anxiety, and sickness. We are on the this treadmill of life, trying to knock off all these deeds that never end, just to feel an empty sense of accomplishment. It’s no wonder we feel overwhelmed and anxious! We have these expectations of ourselves that are impossible to fulfill, or that will ever give us a sense of relief and accomplishment. The reason is because the next day a whole new list is created, along with leftovers from the day before we couldn’t fit in. How daunting that is!

Can we all just rest, be in the moment, without guilt, without a sense of urgency to be “doing” something? Can we all just “be”? Jesus is the great “I AM.” He just is who He is. When we are stripped down, and we block out all the chatter, we CAN find that place of rest. When we allow ourselves to just “be” with Our Lord, we can feel that amazing grace and profound sense of peace. Allow yourself time when you wake to seek the Lord’s will for your day. Our time with Him is so very precious and invaluable. When we’re in the stillness of His Presence we can find that place of being loved beyond words and no longer some part of a math equation. We are NEVER less than, greater than, or seeking a need to be equal. We just “are”. We “are” the blessed children of an Almighty God. He truly loves us as we are in this very moment, raw, unfiltered, and without all the clutter.

Dear Lord,

We thank You for loving us so much, just as we are. You created us in Your great image. Your desire is for us to become more Christ Like. You yearn for us just to fall into Your loving arms and just be present in Your Presence. Nothing more, nothing less. Just be. Thank You Lord for loving us so much that You patiently wait for us to put our focus on You, seeking You out, without any condemnation. We praise You and thank You for using us to seek out the lost and to speak out Your truths and promises to those desperately needing to hear it. We can’t do this when we are absorbed in our task lists. We thank You Jesus that we are ALWAYS enough, just as we are in this very moment. You are greater than any deed to be accomplished in our own strength and will. You are greater than anything we have on our “to-do” list. Lord, You are Greater!

We thank You for wanting to spend time with us, what an honor and blessing that is! We love You Lord! We praise Your Great Name! We pray all this in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

In Christ,

Susan

 

Psalm 46:10 (NLT) “Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.”

Psalm 62:5 (NLT) Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in Him.

Psalm 62:5 (KJV) My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation [is] from Him.

Lamentations 3:24-26 (NKJV)  “The Lord is my portion,”says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!” The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the Lord.

Isaiah 32:17 (KJV) And the work of the righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.

Psalm 91:1 (KJV) He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

Mark 4:39 (KJV) And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NKJV) For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil,  to give you a future and a hope.

Exodus 14:14 (NLT)  The Lord himself will  fight for you. Just stay calm.”