Many people are going through a lot of changes with the beginning of the school year. I know in my house, my wife has started her year with her new kids, and Ryan has had his first full week of college. With change comes anxiety. What I’m saying is, change brings about a measure of uncertainty as the future becomes an unknown.
For a variety of reasons, I am aware of a lot of people going through changes. Some are moving. Some have children who are going off to college. Others are changing jobs. Change is in the air.
Jesus often told his disciples that they had been told something, but that now he was changing it. One can only imagine that this put a measure of stress on them. There was change, uncertainty, and a measure of wonder about the future. One can imagine that there was a lot of anxiety as they were experiencing shifts in their lives.
When life is in upheaval, people tend to start looking for the anchors in life. We look for stability. We look for what we call normal, and that which meets our expectations of life. When we go to church, we want, at least most of the time, for worship to follow the plan and for what unfolds to not shake us too much. Jesus, despite bringing change to the lives of the disciples, also provided a measure of stability.
One of the questions we have to ask ourselves is what are the anchors in our lives. The other day, I had had a very busy, physically and mentally, day where I was just exhausted by the end of business. I just had nothing left in the gas tank. I did not want to think, act, or focus. So I resorted to an old fallback. I love Star Trek. It mostly has a positive ending. It is easy to follow. I don’t have to think. So I went into my stock pile, grabbed a Star Trek book, and read a couple of chapters.
So what are the anchors in your life? What keeps you stable in a rough sea? Yes, I’m sure Jesus is one, and he is a great one. But don’t hesitate when things are hectic to get some emotional comfort. We all need stability, especially in our ever changing world.
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