The famous writer and poet, Shakespeare said, “To thine own self be true.” It speaks to me now just as much as it did when I first read it in high school. I’m old enough to have learned some serious lessons from life’s mistakes and its triumphs. One of the important lessons that is evident in both, our failures and successes, is that if you can’t keep it real with yourself, you’re going to miss a big part of what you’re here on this earth to learn. This is a particularly relevant truth for the season we’re in. You’ve probably heard me refer to this crisis period as a shaking, and indeed it is. It isn’t punishment, but it is most certainly the consequence of too much evil run amuck far too long. Just as the rain falls on the just and the unjust, the effect of a shaking operates much the same way. We will all be left with something once this season of shaking settles down. The honesty we show to ourselves in this hour will determine how we receive what we need once the other side is well within our view.
In a shaking, the thing that is on top falls to the bottom, and the thing at the bottom rises to the top. It is indisputable that this is happening in the entire world. Contrary to what many are thinking, things will not go back to the way they were, and we would do well to face this reality now. For some of us, it is welcomed, but for many it is very scary. It’s scary because some people, if they’re honest with themselves, are deeply sad even in the best of times. The difficulty of our current circumstances is troubling their souls in a way nothing else has.
Heavenly Father has given us exceedingly abundant promises. Philippians 4:19(KJV) tells us, “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” 2Thessalonians 3:3(ESV) says, “But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.” And Proverbs 18:10(ESV) assures us, “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.” Most of us have heard these wonderful promises many times, but they haven’t landed in the deep recesses of our hearts because we can’t reconcile our sadness with the joy these promises were guaranteed by God to bring.
Some beloved sisters feel let down by the loss and disappointments of life. They’ve been praying about the things on their hearts, but still there’s pain and emptiness. There’s a hole inside, and they don’t know why. Very often it is because someone significant in their lives didn’t show them love when they needed it most. Someone or something that was important let them down. And the reason we must be honest with ourselves about this is because of how we have responded to the sadness. We’ve tried to fill the hole it causes with other things. The ache is so profound and nagging that we’ll try just about anything to make it go away. It greets us in the morning and stays with us throughout the day, lurking in the background.
We must understand that lives are built on love. This is a very simple but devastatingly critical truth. 1John 4:8 tells us that God is love. Love is not only what He does, love is who He is. Everything that was made was made from His love. This includes you and me. We were created out of God’s love; it is the very essence of our being. The more we are separated from this truth in our actions, attitudes, and behaviors; the more lost we become.
How do we become separated from this truth? We become separated from it by not trusting God through the love of the Lord Jesus Christ. We become separated from it by not educating ourselves in God’s Word regarding what He desires for us. We must be willing to engage the lessons about love that life will teach and we must accept it will require the totality of our lives to learn them.
Love is necessary to build anything useful. Our Heavenly Father intended this love to start from the very moment of our conception, beginning with the love we should receive from parents. As a person grows and matures and then receives what he or she needs, the best-case scenario is that they will become even more deeply grounded in love. Something within each of us is built up and made strong when we are loved deeply. This is the nurturing care that Heavenly Father intended every family unit to provide. In His plan, we all get what we need from the very beginning. This establishes the precious trust that a child has in the givers of the love it receives. For many people, things don’t happen this way. They end up not getting what they need from those they have trusted. This is the hole—the sadness that many still carry with them every day.
These are perilous times, and those who were downhearted to begin with are feeling even more nervous and anxious; even though they love God. Heavenly Father wants to take away our sadness, and we know from Philippians 4:6 that He doesn’t want us to be anxious, even when things are shaky. Heavenly Father knows exactly how we feel, and He knows what we’re dealing with. He commands us to trust Him through the Lord Jesus Christ. Again, the profound and monumental truth is that love is established through trust. It’s how we show Him our love, and this time is so precious right now because He’s opening His arms to us. We can receive from Him what no other can give.
Trusting God with our emotions—with our whole hearts— can’t be something we do every now and again. It must be set to automatic. Hebrews 11:6 tells us that it is impossible to please God without faith. We must believe in Him! He wants to fill the emptiness in our souls with His love. On a natural plain, we look to grab hold of people and things that are tangible, but during this season of shaking, we understand in a very fundamental way that people and things cannot provide what we need. God tells us in 2Corinthians 12:9(KJV), “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” We can be honest with ourselves about the sadness and uncertainty we feel, but let’s not sit in it. Let’s take it to the Lord. He’s the Healer of broken hearts. He’s our strong tower, and He’ll steady us through the storm if we place all our trust in Him. ■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
“Dealing with Sadness and Uncertainty”, written by Reverend Fran Mack, edited by Kim Times for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2020. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.