“My religious beliefs teach me to feel as safe in battle as in bed. God has fixed the time of my death. I do not concern myself with that, but to be always ready whenever it may overtake me. That is the way all men should live, and all men would be equally brave.”
Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson
As Christian men that truly believe, we should have a powerful perspective that leads to an uncommon strength and courage that stands out in the midst of the chaos of this world. This uncommon strength and courage bear witness that the power of Almighty God dwells within us. But even the strongest men have times that move us off course, and we find ourselves in need of adjusting our perspective. When this happens, how do we get back on the right path?
Fear and chaos seem to be the message of our day. Without the proper perspective and a level of discernment, it is easy to be swept away into the rushing water of an emotional reaction to the craziness of our world. Pandemics, social unrest, protests, riots, shootings, and many other stories flood the news streams of our day. As a result, many people are led down a path of fear. They are being lured into believing the world is out of control and destined to crash and burn.
But the Christian man has reason to stand firm in the midst of the raging waters. For he stands on a foundation that is unshakeable and immovable. Yet many times, we get sidetracked, allowing the world around us to pull us away from what is true. At times it is hard to remember that the circumstances of this world do not change the truths that provide us strength and power in life.
The Distraction of the Chaos
Peter, along with several other guys, was in the boat. It was late at night, and the storm clouds rolled in on them in force. The wind and waves slammed against the boat. There was chaos in their world. Little did they know that in the midst of the chaos, Jesus was there. When he appeared, they thought he was a ghost, and this added to their fear. But then he spoke to them. “Take heart; it’s me. Do not be afraid.” His presence brought strength and eased their fears like it often does for us.
Peter was a bold and often fearless man. He acted when others stood by thinking about it. This was his nature, and I love that about Peter. He was a man’s man and seemed to have only one mode of operation, go forward! He was rarely timid. All fight and no flight is the way I see Peter. At this time, he was ready to put his faith into action. In the presence of the Savior, he was ready to be bold and demonstrate his faith by doing! Here is how it went.
And Peter answered him, “Lord if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:28-31)
I think this is a great example of what happens to us at times. Unfortunately, sometimes we lose focus. We have great times of boldness and zeal. We are full of faith, strong and bold as a lion. But there are also times when the waves of the world’s problems start to creep into our peripheral vision. We notice them and give them our attention, and we begin to lose our faith focus. We find ourselves reasoning in ways that do not account for the fact that we are in covenant with Almighty God. We remove our eyes from the source of our power and zero in on the chaos. Like Peter, the storms grab our attention, and we go under, consumed by the waves.
I can always tell when this starts to happen to me. I sense the stress level going up. My sleep starts to be affected. I can tell in my spirit that my focus is off. My spirit and God’s Spirit are not aligned. In these times, I realize that I am not living what I say I believe. As a result, I am devoid of the power of God. This is when I know it is time to fall back to a couple foundational truths that help me gain the right perspective and re-align with what I believe.
This is Not My Heaven
In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?
Jesus
John 14:2
We have a tendency to stress over this life when we forget that our heaven is yet to come. For the Christ-follower, this life is the worst we will ever experience. Heaven awaits us, and it will be many times greater than the greatest experience we have ever had here on earth. We have guaranteed perfect days ahead!
This does not mean we stop striving to be better. It is actually the opposite. Because we know we are with our King and Savior today in spirit, and one day in person, we work to be the best we can be. We work to utilize all the resources he has given us to their fullest. We honor him by the way we live. Because our destiny is sealed, we are now free to push into life. We do not have to strive and stress working to “get mine.” Our riches are yet to come. Work hard but do not stress!
For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison
2 Corinthians 4:17
For unbelievers, this world is the best they will ever experience. An eternity separated from all goodness awaits those that do not accept the salvation God offers in his son Jesus. At times this lack of hope causes many to fall into frustration and depression. Many work to build their heaven on earth in the here and now before they die. If things do not work out, there is no hope for better days. This often drives many to desperation, especially when the future world seems bleak.
… if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile … If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied …
1 Corinthians 15:17-19
If this is all there is and there is nothing beyond this life, things must work out. This life must work out because there is nothing beyond this life. There is no hope. But for the believer, as great as life can be, the greatest experiences are yet to come. This can be powerful in the mind of a man. Our perspective needs to be to enjoy the day but recognize that our heaven is yet to come.
My Victorious End is Certain
I know where I will end up when all this is over. Because of faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ, I know my sins are forgiven, and my way to heaven has been paved by the sacrificial death of Jesus and his powerful resurrection from the dead. This sealed my eternal destiny.
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.
1 John 5:13
Too often, when the chaos hits and the world crashes against our lives, we forget. No matter how bad the situation in life, our victory is established, and our end is guaranteed. It is finished. Nothing will separate us from the hand of God. Nothing will separate us from the love of God that has been demonstrated in the death of Jesus.
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:37-39
This brings great freedom into life. My future will be in glory with my Savior. Because of this, I do not worry about the things that most worry about. I am free to take risks and do the things that others are often afraid to do. If it does not work out in this life, I know my end, and it will be better than anything I have experienced in the here and now. I am in the hands of God, never to be separated. I will experience the victory that Jesus Christ won.
I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
Jesus
John 10:28
When I am not walking in faith, I need to remember this. I do not need to worry. I do not need to strive and chase after the things of this world as if this is it. Eventually, the end will come. The world will be destroyed by fire. A new heaven and new earth will take its place, and I will reign with the King of kings and Lord of lords. What do I have to fear?
Call to Action – Maintaining Perspective
Shore Up Your Future. Are you certain about your future after this life? I believe you can be absolutely certain. But none of us know the time of our last breath. Because of this, our eternity needs to be a priority. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson had it right when he said, “God has fixed the time of my death. I do not concern myself with that, but to be always ready whenever it may overtake me. That is the way all men should live, and all men would be equally brave.”
Too often, the idea of eternity seems so far away, and we fall into the trap of thinking we have time to dig into this question. As a result, it never seems to get to the top of our list. It is always on the “tomorrow list.” One day tomorrow will not come for you. It will be too late. “Today is the day of salvation.”
I can tell you that knowing my end has brought great freedom into my life. So dig into the truth and shore up your future. Living with this knowledge helps tremendously with maintaining a powerful perspective in the midst of the day’s chaos.
“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy[a] that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
Jesus
Matthew 7:13-14
Know the Truth. Study the truth of the Bible. Understand what it says about you as a believer, the world around you, and what it says about being in a covenant relationship with God. God has provided you so much truth about this world and how to live in it. He reveals things about the power and strength that you have available to you. Too often, men aren’t living in this power because they do not know it. The more you understand, the stronger your perspective will be. Spend time studying personally. Spend time listening and learning from gifted teachers that teach in alignment with what you read in the Bible. Spend time learning the truth and become solid in what you believe.
“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Jesus
John 8:31-32
Spend Time With Your Source of Power. When you learn the truth, talk about it with your Savior. You will read things that make you grateful; express that. You will read things that challenge you; ask Him for power to meet the challenge. You will read things you do not understand; ask Him to reveal the truth to you. Talk to Jesus about what you read and think about how they apply to living a strong life.
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
Jesus
John 16:33
Most of us have battery-powered tools. These tools must return to the charger every so often. If they do not, they will wear down and eventually are unable to do their work. We are like that. We need to spend time connected to the source of our power. Only then will we live powerful lives that overcome the troubles of this world. It is Jesus that overcomes trouble in this world. He needs to be powerful in us so that we overcome. Get connected and overcome!
Live What You Know. Live out what you learn. God does not reveal the truth to us to just think about it. He reveals it to us so that we take action by faith. When we learn, we need to convert the truth into action. Do what you know. God works in those that live out the truth he reveals. In turn, He will reveal more truth as you live it out.
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”
Jesus
Matthew 7:24
Men, we need to build ourselves up so that we are strong in God’s truth and God’s power. The storms and chaos will come. We follow a King and Warrior that has overcome all the things that threaten to steer our minds away from what is true. His power is our power. We can never forget his truth. Work to fill the gaps of your faith. Build this into your routine. Strengthen your body, mind, and spirit so that you conquer the chaos and maintain that powerful perspective in this crazy world.
Other related posts:
A Look at the Fierce Strength of Jesus in Hardship
The Powerful Impact of a Man that Knows His Destiny
The Man that “Puts It On The Line” Experiences God
The Rugged Man’s Perspective of the Other Side of Jesus
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In your corner,
As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.