The Ability to Chill

Carson Wentz is expected to hear his name called on Thursday night at the NFL Draft and is believed to be one of the next great franchise quarterbacks - most likely with the Philadelphia Eagles. I’m already a fan because he’s from a small school (North Dakota State), is a winner, and very open about his faith. I also like hearing that he has a relaxed attitude. Louis Bien describes him like this in his SBNATION.com article: “Wentz's most important attribute may be his ability to chill. He has been extraordinarily good at focusing on the most important task at any moment, even in the midst of so much literal and figurative noise.” In another article, his high school basketball coach (yes, basketball) had this to say: “Carson has always been able to keep an even keel.” If I’m an NFL general manager drafting a quarterback in the first round, two descriptions I’m excited to hear about a player are “ability to chill” and “keep an even keel.” These are wonderful characteristics to have when you’re in the pocket as a QB…and also important as followers of Jesus. If we trust that God is great and faithful and loves us deeply, we can remain calm in any circumstances because of the peace He provides. I love the story in the Bible where Jesus calms the storm. According to Matthew 8:23-27 (NLT), "Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples. Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, 'Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!' Jesus responded, ‘Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!’ Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm. The disciples were amazed. ‘Who is this man?’ they asked. ‘Even the winds and waves obey him!’” This account shows Jesus being “chill” and “even-keeled,” even though a storm was raging. He did the calming but was also calm before doing so. The disciples realized the power of Jesus at that moment, and I hope we see it too. As we begin to panic or get overwhelmed by our situation, let’s not forget who’s on the boat with us. The power that calmed that storm lives in us. Let's chill out, become more like Jesus, and trust Him to calm our storm. I’m Bryce Johnson and you can unpack that! PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for the peace You offer me through Jesus. Help me to trust You fully, and remain calm even during challenging times. Teach me to stay even-keeled while life has its ups and downs. I thank you in advance for what You will do during the storms. I pray this in Jesus' name, amen.