President Dwight Eisenhower once said, “What is important is seldom urgent, and what is urgent is seldom important.”
“That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.” — Mark 4: 35-39
It was all a set up. Sailing that night at that time was His idea. He wanted them to go to the other side and, to accomplish that, they had go through a storm all because He had a purpose and a plan for his followers and for us today. Getting around the storm was not His plan but going through it was. If we truly believe that God is in charge of every aspect of our lives, past, present, future, we can trust that whatever storm we are in the midst of, He put us there.
What strikes me is the different perspectives on the same storm. The disciples responded in an urgent manner– “Wake Up, we’re gonna drown!”– this was urgent and important. Yet Jesus sleeping sends a message that storms to him are no big deal because He controls the rain, wind and sun. Jesus was perfectly calm and his Disciples were a mess simply because of what they could and couldn’t see. Man’s view is not God’s power and so often I have trouble seeing beyond my adversity to the resources God can provide me in my circumstances.
- cancer diagnosis on a routine check up?
- foreclosing on your house?
- daughter hanging out with the wrong crowd?
So are you reacting like the disciples or Jesus in your current storm?
Reflection |
How can your perspective change by knowing He controls the storms seeing your circumstance thru God’s lens?