This past Sunday I was preaching on irrelevant conversations and, according to 2 Timothy 2, the need for believers to exit these quarrels. One of my highlights came in light of social media – too often believers retweet, like, share, or forward conversations that they do not fully understand.
It got me thinking…
On August 24, 2019 a hurricane formed in the Atlantic Ocean. It would become one of the most powerful hurricanes in recorded history, with sustained winds of 185 mph. – Hurricane Dorian.
As word began to spread about this catastrophic storm, people were warned not to “ride the storm out.” They were repeatedly told to make their preparations and then get out of the area. This storm was so powerful, its devastating wake would be like anything the United States’ coastal regions had ever seen.
Like many other people of faith, Dorian became a topic of discussion and prayer in our church. I remember at one of our men’s Bible studies, one of my dear brothers reminded the group to be praying for those in its path, even if we didn’t know who we were praying for.
For several days, leaders across the nation – Ron DeSanits, Brian Kemp, Donald Trump, and many many more – told us this storm was catastrophic…nothing to be messed with…and worse than our greatest fears. So…we prayed.
What happened next was unbelievable…Dorian came to, what seemed like, a complete halt over the Bahamas. While there, Dorian was named responsible for 400 missing people, 61 deaths, and over $7 Billion in property damage. But Dorian’s surprises were just beginning…instead of continuing into the United States mainland, Dorian (for the most part) moved up the Atlantic Coast without making catastrophic land fall.
One of my men commented the following week, during our prayer time, “It’s a miracle….almost like God’s hand just held it back.” In that moment I thought, “It depends on which side the hurricane you were standing.”
The Bahamian people have a dramatically different view of Dorian than we…for them, Dorian probably seemed like an unending nightmare.
Beloved, we believe in absolute TRUTH. We believe in objective TRUTH. TRUTH is not governed by emotion, contingent upon acceptance, or contradictory. TRUTH is that Dorian was one of the most powerful hurricanes in recorded history. PERSPECTIVE is where you stand in relationship to the storm.
Unfortunately, too often we allow our PERSPECTIVE to determine our truth, when God’s inerrant, inspired, and sufficient Word are to be our guide. Jesus told a story of two men who built houses. They lived in the same neighborhood and experienced the same storm…but only one house survived the ruin – the man who heard the words of Christ and did them, who was likened to a man who built his house on a rock/sure foundation. Perspective is important because it all too often governs our actions. But perspective is a limited view…and, therefore, our PERSPETIVE is changing.
The greatest example of this change – death. Before death, many people determine the courses of their lives based on their perspective. But through death, our PERSPECTIVE changes. “For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away…For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known” (1 Corinthians 13:9-10, 12).
One day I will know how my perspective was flawed so often…until then, I suppose we should all be a little slower to jump on the next “viral discussion.”
But one thing I will be glad I knew…Jesus Christ.
I will forever rejoice that He changed my PERSPECTIVE, overcame my sinful nature, and drew me unto Himself. I will celebrate for all eternity His love bestowed upon me, one so undeserving, through His substitutionary death on my behalf.
How about you? Which side of the hurricane are you standing?
Held by Grace, Pastor Chris