“Are you kidding me?” was the response given by Atlanta Falcons owner, Arthur Blank, when asked if he saw his team’s 1-4 record coming. That came after an ugly loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers yesterday. I would give a similar answer if someone asked me about the division-leading Chicago Bears and Cincinnati Bengals or the 2-3 Eagles. Or, who would have thought the Jets would have a better record than the Giants, Falcons, 49ers, and Colts at this point in the season? Whether we look at the first five weeks of the season as a whole or only look at yesterday’s games, there is plenty of head-scratching going on about things not making sense. For example, the Titans beat the Jaguars (who beat the Patriots) and the Eagles this year, but they lost to the Bills yesterday. The Bills, on the other hand, were blown out by the Packers and the Ravens, yet they beat the Titans and the Vikings. Or how about the Panthers winning with a 63-yard field goal on a day that Mason Crosby missed five kicks for the Packers? “Are you kidding me?” also applies to the Cardinals getting their first win and scoring 28 points...the Browns beating the Ravens...and the Jets beating the Broncos 34-16. And let's not forget how all four starting rookie quarterbacks won their game yesterday! Unpredictability in the NFL can actually be entertaining, but when things don't make sense in our own lives, it's not so enjoyable. How many times have we responded with "Are you kidding me?" when facing these types of circumstances:
I’m going to lose my job.
The treatment or procedure didn’t work.
They’re going on another amazing vacation.
They’re having another child and we're still waiting to get pregnant with our first.
We’ve got to spend that much money on fixing our house.
Things that don't make sense go on and on in our daily lives, so as followers of Jesus, how should we respond?
First, we must cling to the truth that God is good even when our circumstances are not. We must also know that He is faithful and worthy to be trusted to get us through the confusion.
He will comfort us, provide our needs, and give us peace if we turn to Him - even as we ask the question, "Are you kidding me?" It all comes down to our perspective and what we decide to focus on.
As 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (AMP) explains, "For our momentary, light distress is producing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure !"So we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are unseen; for the things which are visible are temporal , but the things which are invisible are everlasting and imperishable.” We don’t always know what God is up to and how He’s using our disappointment and temporary setbacks for His glory, our good, and His purposes, but we can know He’ll make eternal sense out of it. So today, let's not get distracted by things that don't add up or we can't wrap our mind around because we know God will be glorified as we trust and keep our eyes fixed on Him through it. We can be assured He'll use it to change us or those around us...and even if we can’t see it, He is working! Let’s never forget “The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him…” (Nahum 1:7 - NIV). I’m Bryce Johnson and you can unpack that! PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I have situations right now in my life that don’t make sense to me. I pray that You would give me peace as I trust You. I pray my greatest desire would be You instead of trying to figure everything out. I know You are working in ways I cannot see and I thank You for that. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
Comments