3 Ways to Protect Yourself in the Chaos of Life’s Storms

Life isn’t always fair, and there is nowhere in scripture that promises it is. Yet, we seem to think when difficulties come our way, somehow God is being unfair. It isn’t God who has made life unfair, but the sinful world we live in. Our world has been tainted by a conniving, deceitful and detestable enemy. So, what do we do when life’s storms come crashing in and we feel like the life is being sucked out of us?

1. Check Your Foundation: To stand against the storms of life you must have a strong foundation. I have seen many people’s lives come crashing down because of what they were built on. What looked like a strong foundation on the outside was in reality cracked and broken. If you are not strengthening your soul through prayer, reading the Bible and sharing life with other Christians, eventually that neglect can lead to the need for costly repairs. I love this passage in The Message and how it conveys the intent of the scripture.

Matthew 7:24-27 (MSG)

“These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit—but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock. “But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don’t work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. When a storm rolled in and the waves came up, it collapsed like a house of cards.”

Is your foundation built on The Rock? Storms are always going to come in and out of your lives and if you are living on shifting sand you are placing yourself at risk.

2. Don’t Compromise: The fact that there are storms in your life does not give you permission to compromise your faith. This is where the rubber meets the road. The enemy is always going to compete for your soul and do anything to try to steal you away from God. In our weakness it is easy to want to throw in the towel, feel sorry for ourselves and blame God for all of life’s struggles. However, our instability can cost us greatly. Don’t divide your loyalty between God and the world. Don’t give up on your faith or yourself. You are worth so much more than that! Stay strong and keep your faith even stronger. God has never compromised His love for you!

 

James 5:4-8 (NLT)

So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.  But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.  Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.

 

God is our present help and when we live a life according to His purpose and plan we can rest assured that He will give us what we need. The temptations and trials we face are powerful life lessons we can not only learn from but use to help others grow in their faith. They will help us to show love, compassion and empathy. The world is full of people who are willing to compromise their faith for self-gratification, but we have seen how people who live for temporary pleasure eventually experience a life of heartbreak and heartache. Don’t let the storms of life blow you all over. Remember who your anchor is and stand steadfast to His promises.

3. Shelter in Place: This is a term which has become very familiar in our society. Whenever anything bad is going on in a particular location, the authorities tell people to shelter in place. In other words, stay out of sight of the enemy who has the potential to harm you. How do we do that in our faith life? Being still! When we place our trust in God knowing He has everything under control despite the storms of life, we can rest in Him. God is our defender and protecter Share on XGod is our defender and protector in every situation. Did you know that Psalm 46 mentions three times that God is our refuge and our strength? I don’t think this is coincidence, but a God incident. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are always with us in every storm of our life and protecting us just as God was protecting His city and people.

 

Psalm 46:10 (KJV)

 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.  The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

The best thing we can do for ourselves when faced with a difficult situation is to lean into Jesus. Allow Him to take over and bring you His peace. No matter how big or intense the storms of life are, Jesus will always be with you until the storm passes. When we give up our ownership of the storms of life and hand it to the One who can calm the wind and the seas, we can rest in Him and God will be exalted.

With any storm there is always the risk of damage, but there is also a great opportunity to come out the other side and see what Jesus has brought you through and what He has done for you. When we stand on a firm foundation, strong in our faith, allowing Jesus to shelter us from the storms of life, we have successfully learned how to combat life’s storms.