Leslie’s youngest daughter, Vanessa, had been a very quiet and reserved child until she turned 14 years old. She began to date boys and skip school, all the while her mother and two older siblings were completely oblivious. It wasn’t until her grades began to slip that Leslie caught a glimpse that something was wrong. Their father passed away shortly after Vanessa was born, so Leslie was a single parent with three children and two jobs. She couldn’t believe the things the teachers were saying about her child, and after two years of struggling to help Vanessa to get back on track, Leslie was tired and still very worried about her youngest.
She was so thankful that Vanessa had made it to her senior year, but her grades were not what they could have been. Vanessa had fallen deeply in love with Reggie, a boy that had barely made it through school himself. He foolishly used drug money to lavish Vanessa in the extravagant prom dress she wanted, and this had placed her whole family in jeopardy. When Leslie found out about it, she was beside herself. All too familiar with news stories about what happens when you mess with the wrong players, she hustled to come up with the money to make things right. The last few years had taken a toll. Her fears and anxiety were at an all-time high, and she was worried about what Vanessa might do next.
Some of the issues that many of us are facing today are nothing like those of the past. Situations that we never once imagined can land on our heads in a blink of an eye, and life as we know it is forever changed. Troubles and challenges like the ones Leslie have faced with her daughter can bring life and death consequences. The emotional weight of continuing uncertainty is also a huge burden. It can feel as though our backs are against the wall, and there’s no way out, but this simply isn’t true. Matthew 11:28-30(NLT) tells us, “28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”” We need Jesus, plain and simple. He can and will take our burdens and replace them with his love and light. We must have faith in this.
When we come to that big whammy of an issue in life, we must understand that it’s spiritual warfare. Ephesians 6:12(NLT) tells us, “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” It is very easy to attribute our troubles to a flesh and blood individual, a person that comes against us and perhaps those we love. We think that if we can handle the person through our own solutions, we’ll be all set. But often, when we try to do this, we find that the person continues to plague us in other ways.
Romans 8:7(NIV) says, “The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.” A mind that is governed by the flesh will always look to the flesh for solutions. A mind that is governed by the flesh is consumed with fear and tied to responses dictated by fear. This creates an unstable foundation, and very little can be built on it. Jesus Christ is continually knocking at the door, asking to come into our hearts, minds, and lives in a greater way so that a sturdy foundation can be built on him. He’s the One with power and authority, and our trust in him allows us to use it.
Our children learn faith or fear from us. They practice what they see us doing, both good and bad. If we don’t believe deep down that God is our salvation, that we have nothing to fear because He will provide and protect us, they will pick up on this. We must be ever aware that this can be a great hinderance in their lives.
A carnal mind is hostile to God, because it is rebellious against fully believing and trusting Him. A spiritual mind is the mind of Christ. It is the mindset of faith and this is the mind that God requires us to have. There will be storms in life, on this we can depend. We will endure hardship, but the solution is Jesus Christ! He taught the disciples this, and they had to learn the spiritual reality of faith in Christ during scary situations. In Matthew 8:23-27(NLT), we learn about one of those times.
This passage says, “23 Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples. 24 Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” 26 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. 27 The disciples were amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked. “Even the winds and waves obey him!””
The disciples were called by Jesus Christ to follow him. We have that same calling. He walked with them daily and taught them the Word of God. In Jesus, the disciples had the overwhelming privilege to witness the living Word of God up close and personally. They saw the miracles, power, love, authority, and truth that he demonstrated in his life. They witnessed the perfection of his walk on earth, but when they found themselves facing the storm, they forgot about that. This was no ordinary storm. It was sent by satan to destroy them, but Jesus Christ was asleep. He could sleep through the storm because of his faith in God, but many of us will not practice the peace and calm that he did.
The disciples ran to Jesus Christ shouting “Save us!” How is it that they could run to him to be saved, and still be afraid? This was unstable thinking, because we cannot have faith and fear at the same time. Jesus straightened out the waves, and he straightened them out as well. He calmed the storm and demonstrated his power to help the disciples. He will do the same for us.
We don’t have to hide the reality of our trials, troubles, and tribulations from our children and those we love. However, our faith in Jesus Christ must be louder than the problems we face. So often we show our loved one a mentality of disappointment, sadness, and defeat. We can’t fake it, and they know us better than anyone. They see our lack of faith because deep down, that’s what we’re feeling. We must renew our minds to God’s Word and have faith in Him. We must recognize that our very lives are a testimony of the love, power, and victory of Jesus Christ. God knew about the storm way before it occurred. He’s already solved it. All He requires from you is that you really and truly believe it. ■
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“Jesus Calms the Storm”, written by Reverend Fran Mack. Edits by Kim Times and K. Stephens for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2023. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.