Stop Freaking Out, God is In Control

Scripture Texts: Acts 8:26-40; Psalm 46

Pick up a newspaper or read the latest news feed and we can see there are some scary things in our world. Story after story of destruction and doom fill the lines that flash before our eyes. It is easy to get drawn in and live our lives in fear of all that is happening around us. To have our worldview be one of seeing everything as ushering in the end of the world.

This is not the kind of mindset God longs for us to have. We are not supposed to ignore all that is happening. Nor are we to use God as an escape from the realities we find around us. The people of God are called to be people who remember the greatness of God in the midst of it all. We are to be the people that hold onto the worldview that says no matter how crazy it gets, God is still here and God is still bigger.

Often quoted, we find this reminder in Psalm 46, to be still and know that God is God. This is not a simple call to quiet time each morning, though that is not a bad idea. The words of the Psalmist came in the midst of seeing everything in the world that is causing struggle and strife. When the news becomes unbearable, we are not to give up, we are to stand firm. We are to remember that God is God.

One of the many joys of marriage is having someone in your life who can help remind us of the truth offered by the psalmist. Our spouse can often be the voice reminding us that God is still God in the midst of the trials and tribulations of life. We can offer the same voice to our spouse when they need reminding of God's presence among us.

Being still is not as much about a physical stillness as it is a mental or anxiety stillness. If we were to change the language some, we are being told, stop freaking out, God has this all under control. In a healthy marriage we can provide the reminder to stop freaking out, and to rest in God's presence. This always seems easier to do when we know we have someone else sitting with us, being still.