Navigating the Storms of Life

One Day, Beth and I went with a couple of friends to a baseball game out in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. As we were driving back at 10 PM, we hit a thunderstorm that had a torrential downpour. I was white knuckling the steering wheel. The wise thing I should’ve done was pull over and wait for it to pass, but it was already late. I was praying as I was driving that the Lord would protect us through this storm. Then I started thinking about storms that hit our lives. Mark 4:35-41 came to my mind.

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. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

Benjamin Franklin said, “Nothing is certain except death and taxes.” To that list, I would add that storms of life are also inevitable.

Why do we have storms in our lives?

Rick Warren teaches that “there are three kinds of storms in life: storms that we bring on ourselves, like the one Samson faces, storms that God causes, like Lake Galilee, and storms that other people cause, as when Paul and Silas were thrown into prison.” Let’s take a closer look at them.

First, we have no control over the storms that God causes. We may feel that we are being punished, but we lack insight into God’s plans. He knows what He is doing and has been doing it a long time. God doesn’t randomly create storms in our lives; rather He uses them for a specific purpose such as teaching humility like it did to Job, “For when they are humbled you say, ‘It is because of pride’; but he saves the lowly” (Job 22:29) or building and strengthening our faith through perseverance like it says in James 1:12, “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” For whatever reason we may perceive, we are assured that He is not seeking to harm us. Look at what God said to the Hebrews in Jeremiah 29:11-13, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” Joseph M. Marshall III, award-winning storyteller, tells us: “When a storm blows, you must stand firm. For it is not trying to knock you down, it is really trying to teach you to be strong.”

Secondly, like storms caused by God, we have little control over others’ actions and behaviors, even though our relationships may suffer collateral damage. We can see and feel the results of others’ actions, but we can’t truly understand why someone did something, since we can’t see their motivation. The best we can do to help others is let them know what they have done and how it has affected us. Luke 17:3 tells us:

“Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him.”

Finally, there are the storms that we bring on ourselves. These storms are the most difficult to prepare for, not because we can’t control our actions and behaviors, but because we can’t always foresee their consequences or impact. We always seem to be able to justify, at least to ourselves, why we made a decision or took an action, even if it didn’t produce the expected outcome. The storms that we bring on ourselves are often the result of “egoism”, defined as an “inordinate concern for one’s own welfare and interests; selfishness.” I am not sure if any of you are familiar with the acronym “WIIFM,” which stands for “What’s in it for me,” a concept that has gained popularity in marketing and business teachings. At its core, this philosophy aimed to increase profits or normalize change by appealing to the self-interests of consumers or employees. It is presumed that people would do what we want if it were in their interests. It should not surprise us when our plans don’t turn out as we expect, especially if we base them on our own self-interest or the manipulation of others. The Bible repeatedly warns us, like in Philippians 2:3: “Don’t do anything for selfish purposes, but with humility think of others as better than yourselves.”

Now that we understand what can cause storms in our lives, how can we navigate them effectively? Let me share four ways that can help you navigate the storms in your life.

1) Build a solid foundation.

Jesus was speaking, and he said, “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” (Matthew 7:24 - 27)

We need to build our foundations on the words that are found in the Bible. We need to read, meditate, study, and put it into practice every single day. We must ensure that this is the priority in our walk with Christ. It should be above anything else we do.

2) Realize you are not alone.

Even when we face storms in life, remember that Jesus is with us in the midst of the storm. You might not always feel God's presence, but trust that He walks with us through every storm. Jesus said, “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)

Another thing we have is our brothers and sisters in Christ to stand with us in the times when the storms are rolling. The apostle Paul wrote to the Galatians, “carry each other’s burdens, and in this way fulfill the law of Christ.” We need to help one another through the storms of life that come our way. If you are facing a storm right now, you need prayer. Please send me a message or ask another believer to pray for you.

3) Remember, Jesus is all-powerful.

We are too quick to forget God when crises strike. We forget the miracles God has done in our past. Yet, Jesus always knows exactly what we’re experiencing. He’s bigger than even life’s biggest storms. We even see in the passage from Mark that He said to the storm, 'Be still,' and it was still.

4) Finally, all storms will end.

No storm will go on forever. Just like the storm on the sea that the disciples were facing, it ended. The storms that Job had to go through ended. Just like the storm that I was driving through. Storms that we face will come to an end. It is up to us how we emerge from those storms. Will you be closer to God, or will you choose to let the storms stop you from getting closer?