Connecting in a Disconnected World

To our very valued readers and friends: As my gift for Linda this Mother’s Day, I (Reen) will be writing the blogs this month—so you’ll notice an obviously masculine tone. Linda has been faithfully writing these blogs of over 10 years. (As with everything we write, we discuss it and agree on the content of Your Refreshed Life.)

This month we will be sharing useful ways to better understand others as we seek to reconnect in a very fragmented world. First, there’s no denying we came through a presidential campaign that threw civility “under the bus.” Next, we struggled through an extended lockdown full of social distancing and daily news updates on death tolls. And now, the expanding violent crime and rage-based assaults on civilians and police shock us daily.

But as Isaiah 41:10 says, “Fear not, for I am with you; do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you.” While we live in a world full of chaos and upheaval, we can rest in the reality that God has not abandoned us!! And, in fact, we now have an unprecedented opportunity to love and encourage each other as well as share the love of Christ with a lost and hungry world. 

The four topics we will cover over this month are:

1. Defeating the “Age of Rage”
2. Neighboring-The art of connecting within our own neighborhoods 
3. Encouraging One Another
4. Sharing God’s Good News simply and effectively 

Defeating the “Age of Rage”
Recently a guest commentor on a news program used this very appropriate name, “Age of Rage,” to describe the extended season of unprecedented anger and rage we now see rampant everywhere.

Our ministry focuses on helping you live the abundant life promised by Jesus in John 10:10. But we don’t often talk about the first half of the verse where Jesus speaks very clearly of the assaults of the “thief who comes to steal, kill, and destroy.” A thief is a subtle, sly, cunning foe who uses subterfuge, camouflage, and deception to achieve his destructive ends. We are living in the “age of rage,” which is very clearly nothing more than an open assault on our nation, attempting to cause us to destroy ourselves from within.

The key to defeating this assault on our families, communities, and nation is with the arsenal of prayer and fasting. We need to daily put on the Armor of God (we’ll talk about this in an upcoming blog), pray for ourselves and our families. Above all, pray for our nation as it says in 2 Chron. 7:14 NIV,
 

“If My people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

When the reality of the difficulties we face in our culture today assault you, tempting you to grow hopeless, discouraged, or despairing, remember you have an Almighty, powerful God who loves and cares for you, who is intentionally taking every negative thing in your life and weaving it into what will someday be a beautiful tapestry. Because you love Him, He does this for you. And although all you can see now is the underside full of hanging threads and knotted ends, someday the completed masterpiece will be revealed and its beauty will be magnificent…a life well-lived spent fulfilling His purposes and demonstrating His magnificent love.