How to travel through turbulent times
By Rob Wiltshire
Have you noticed how people seem to have a natural default to want instant gratification rather than having delayed?
Let me give you a practical example. Anyone that knows me would know that I enjoy hunting. A saying that I often highlight to my hunting partners is; “the early bird catches the worm.” Now if you don’t understand what saying means, simply it’s saying… “We need to get up early.”
One the best times to hunt is first thing in the morning, right as the sun is coming up. But to do that requires you to get up out of bed on a cold frosty morning, have breakfast, and hike out to your hunting position before the sun rises.
I have to admit; I don’t overly enjoy this part of hunting. Specifically, when you are camping in -4-degree weather. It’s dark and cold, and there is no fire to warm beside. Some mornings are so cold that the ice over the puddles can hold you weight without breaking. Honestly, even though I enjoy early mornings, I would much prefer the instant gratification of staying in my swag where it’s nice and warm. But if I do that I miss the delayed gratification of experiencing nature at its most beautiful, with the buzz of life the first rays of sun bring to the forest.
While not everyone can relate to my story, most Christians however want a relationship with God that can endure the turbulent seasons of life. Meaning we all want the relationship with God that in the midst of life completely falling apart, we can still hear his voice, feel his peace, experience his calm, etc.
So why is it for so many of us that this is an idea we want, but an experience we so rarely have?
I think the problem is we too often choose instant gratification. Or to keep fitting with my story. We choose to stay in bed where its comfortable.
Matthew 7:24-27
24 Anyone who hears and obeys these teachings of mine is like a wise person who built a house on solid rock. 25 Rain poured down, rivers flooded, and winds beat against that house. But it did not fall, because it was built on solid rock.
26 Anyone who hears my teachings and doesn’t obey them is like a foolish person who built a house on sand. 27 The rain poured down, the rivers flooded, and the winds blew and beat against that house. Finally, it fell with a crash.
In the chapters and verses leading up to Jesus making this statement He talks about; fasting, serving God not money, having a pursuit of heavenly riches, having a prayer life, doing things for God, avoiding sin, etc.
I wonder if we were to dig around at the foundations of our lives and ask ourselves some hard questions; what would we find?
A lack of fasting, a serving of money rather than God? Would we find our pursuit is on whatever makes us happy rather than on what makes God happy? Would we find an active prayer life? Would we find a life built on the foundations of deliberate sin?
What foundation would we find?
One thing is certain, every one of us will go through hard times. However, the way we travel through those times is all dependent upon the foundation we have built our lives upon.
How about right now you pause and prayerfully consider what foundation you are building your life on.