RELAX
“Stop fighting, and know that I am God, exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth.” (Psalm 46:10, CSB)
My friends, I have some advice for you, relax! You heard me right, RELAX! Many people out there right now remind me of a guitar string. They’re so tight that when something the least irritating strikes them, they ring out like a guitar. I get it; the world feels tumultuous right now. Then when things get unstable, we get scared. When we get afraid, we get defensive. When we get defensive, all we try to do is defend that which we have. Sometimes that thing we fight so hard to protect is our status quo because it feels like the only thing we have to hold to. Then when anything comes along that potentially could upset or damage that, we fly off the handle, usually causing more harm than good; to ourselves and others.
I think there are times that we need to realize that what we’re fighting for may not be worth the battle. As scared as we sometimes feel, our lives being constantly pulled tight isn’t worth it. This is especially true when you come from a Christian background. The psalmist in Psalms 46:10 paints the picture of a people stretched tight like in a game of tug-a-war, stuck between their fears and adversaries. The Psalms says, relax like a rope going slack; that is where we get the “stop fighting” translated into English.
Relax and know God. The psalmist says, God is lifted high; he is more significant than every situation you can find in any nation or on the planet. God has made himself knowable and available to us. I mean, Jesus became one of us so we could know God. Jesus dealt with our real issues when we couldn’t. Read enough of the New Testament to find out; that God is still “exalted on the earth.” Even when things don’t feel right, please, especially if you say you’re a Christian, take the time to chill and rest in knowing the God who has got all the chaos under control.
Thank you for this reminder!