Life is Messy

Finding Comfort in the Chaos |

Being a super organized and neat person, life’s messiness can often feel overwhelming, chaotic, and sometimes just too much to handle.

Why can’t things be easy? Why must everything be so dang complicated?!

It is hard to answer these simply questions when we serve such a complex God. His plan and extravagant weaving of our lives can seem messy and cluttered up close, but when put into the proper perspective, we can see the beautiful tapestry He has created.

You see, if everything in life was easy, straightforward, and seamless, we would feel totally equipped to handle life on our own–not in need of a Heavenly Father or Savior. BUT, it is in our weakness that we find true strength–the strength of Christ.

But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.”

Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.

For when I am weak, then I am strong.

~2 Corinthians 12 : 9-10

I often get discouraged when the mess of life begins to take over my clean, predictable routine. Relationship turmoil, unemployment, spiritual warfare, depression – the list could go on and on. Why can’t everything in life be going smoothly at the same time? It seems like there’s always at least one area of life busting at the seams or falling apart altogether.

It is in these times that I pray my most honest prayers...”God! Where are you?!”

This is when He reminds me that I don’t need everything in my life to be perfect in order to experience His true joy and presence. You see, there is a big difference between happiness and joy. Happiness is a fleeting emotion that’s here one minute (i.e. Getting a promotion at work) and gone the next (Comparing your accomplishment to others on social media who seem to be ten steps ahead of you in their career).

Joy, on the other hand, is a constant inner-state that does not depend on our outer circumstances. We can have joy no matter what we do (or do not) accomplish. Joy is not dependent on our own performance or how we measure up to those living on the “greener” side of the grass. Joy is simply there, no matter what season of life we’re in. In the midst of the storm or in the peak of life, we can have this joy – the joy of Christ!

Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

~1 Peter 1 : 8-9

I believe He wants to remind us of this today.

So whatever you are facing or struggling with, just know that God’s got a plan and this is part of it. He will always finish what He started.

. . . He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

~Philippians 1 : 6

Can I get an amen? Amen.

xo, Lex