Living in Crisis vs. Living in Christ | Part 5

Hey friends, This episode is a difficult one, mostly because this particular time of my life—unexpectedly living in the middle of a global crisis—has left me feeling incredibly lonely myself. It's hard having everything you've come to know as 'normal' just crumble in front of your eyes. I'm having to learn how to step back and remind myself that there is no way to categorize where I was, where I am, and where I'm going as any kind of 'normal.' My past wasn't necessarily a better place to be than my present, in terms of what the world calls good and right and normal. My future is the same way. Jesus' entire mission was to show us that there is something greater than this world and this temporary life. He reminds us that in this life we will have trouble, but we can take heart because he has overcome the world. Our 'normal' may be gone. But maybe normal was never really there. God wants us to rest in His goodness, His faithfulness. He's the one who leads us and feeds us and cares for us. He doesn't always take us out of the valley of the shadow of death, but He walks beside us through it. I hope this episode can give you some peace and rest this week, friends. Whether you're walking through loneliness or you're struggling because you're surrounded by people and can't find space to be alone, the Stanfords have words of comfort for you that come straight from Scripture. Loneliness and depression don't have to be the end of the road for you. Like any chronic hurt, these things don't have to define you and they don't have to be a death sentence for your soul and your joy. In fact, as the apostle Paul reminds us, God's power is made perfect in our weakness, and His grace is sufficient for us. We'd love to hear from you. Send me an email at [email protected]. We want to answer your questions, get your feedback, and hear your prayer requests.  You can also visit youmatterministry.com to view all our resources and get in touch with us. God bless, Jonathan Gibson