Don’t look around, look to God!

             We’re in a hellishly dark time, nothing appears to be working. News of despair and gloom dominates every corner of the country. I with the rest of my country men (and women) are sorely worried, vexed even. I’m disappointed with the way things are going- a plummeting economy, precarious security, fuel hike, and exorbitant food prices with diminishing value.

These occurrences can lead me into a number of unhealthy dispositions: depression, anger, frustration, apathy, and outright distrust. I in fact have every right to play these cards. As it was expected, people from virtually every section of the country have made their frustrations known in no uncertain terms. Accusing fingers and sentimental remarks are hurled at the easily identifiable leaders and at any available medium.

But I am proposing a more peaceful and effective course of action-prayer.

         It always appears to be less pragmatic, to put our hard concrete predicaments and fate into some mirage or Deity that does not have any hint about what’s going on. That’s exactly what the Devil wants us to believe, to distrust the sovereignty and power of God in times of despair. But we do that at our own peril.

Against the backdrop of all of these difficulties, the book of Timothy gives us a portrait of the posture we must take. 1Timothy 2:1-3:

“The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation”. (Emphasis mine)

So, in all of the chaos, we’re not merely to make scathing remarks about whether the government is serving our best interests, or exercise unrivaled deductive prowess in indicting the leaders; we all must take a posture of prayer to God who fashions and rules by His power. Timothy’s instruction is winsome. Our anger, sentiments, analysis and judgements does not cause things to change a bit. They only produce more frustration and disgust.

      We must bow our hearts in utmost submission and dependence on the sovereign one because “This is the way our savior God wants us to live”. Not a thing is changed by our incessant whining. But everything is changed when our hearts are lifted to the one who created the heavens and earth, and who scattered the inhabitants of the earth at his pleasure. The one who made all of these got to have some control! “We have to pray with our eyes on God and not our difficulties”- Oswald Chambers.

All Timothy is saying is, “Don’t look around, look to God!