05182019 Are You Okay?

Dear Missionary Lady,

Are you okay?

Have you ever had someone ask you that question, and you really didn't know how to answer? Most of the time it's not that hard, but there are days. You don't want to lie, but neither do you really want to give an honest answer, because the truth may be that you're not okay. In fact, you may be very far from okay - for very real and legitimate reasons. But if you tell someone that, who knows what they will think! And they're very likely to say words that will either minimize your struggle or challenge you to just get over it, or both.

At times like that, we all like to have a friend who will listen and sympathize and care and support. Who will acknowledge the difficulty and take it seriously. Who will be a friend and not a preacher.

My thoughts about this whole concept are going in a different direction, however, because I realize that Christians have a different perspective. Even when life is not okay, there is an extent to which it is okay. The external details might be rough, but the internal reality is safe and sure.

Remember Paul? He hadn't done anything wrong, except turn the world upside down with his preaching of the gospel. For that, people wanted to kill him. A group of forty men were so intent on that evil purpose that they vowed not even to eat until they had killed him. So began a new series of adventures. Paul was spirited away in the middle of the night by the army. He had several trials before important rulers who left him in prison just because they hoped they could get something from him. Eventually he was put on a ship to be sent to Italy.

Paul was still a prisoner. I don't think he had a lot of creature comforts, maybe not even spare clothing. To make things worse, the seas were stormy. He probably was seasick. The voyage was slow because of the wind, so the trip kept getting longer, and conditions on board kept deteriorating. People were starting to get smelly. Finally, they barely managed to make it into harbor, and it seemed that additional sailing would be impossible until spring.

After some time of being stranded, the pilot and captain were impatient and determined to sail on in spite of the risks. They ignored Paul's warning and set sail again. Soon they were caught in a storm that dwarfed all their previous problems. They had to give up even trying to steer the ship. They were trying desperately to hold the ship together and threw out their cargo and even parts of the ship's rigging. They hadn't seen the sun or stars for days, and all hope of survival was lost.

So in that dire situation, let's ask Paul, "Paul, are you okay?" What will his answer be? What should it be? Well, it would be easy to say he was not okay. Conditions were absolutely brutal. There was little chance of survival. And if the storm didn't kill him, the soldiers would have killed him without a second thought if it came down to that.

But Paul was okay, and his words showed it. He encouraged the other men on the ship to be of good cheer. He predicted no loss of life. He didn't say that everything would turn out okay, but he was confident that the people would be okay. Their situation was not as bleak as it seemed. He was optimistic.

How could Paul be okay in that situation? His crucial revelatory explanation is found in Acts 27:25: "For I believe God." Now Paul had a specific promise from God about his particular situation, but it still comes down to faith in God. Believing God, trusting God, having faith in God - that's what makes life be okay when it isn't okay.

The night might be dark and long. The tempest might be blowing. The tears might be flowing. The burden could be heavy. The questions could be swarming. The hole in our heart might be so big a tractor could drive through it. But even if it is the worst and hardest situation that we have ever faced in our lives, we are okay.

Why? Because we believe God. We are okay, because we believe God saved us. We are okay, because we believe God loves us. We are okay, because we believe God will take care of us. We are okay, because we believe God is completely in control. We are okay, because we believe God will never forsake us. We are okay, because we believe the Bible. We are okay, because we believe heaven is waiting.

I'm not trying to minimize the difficulty of the trial or the depth of the sorrow. Sure, humanly speaking no one who understands the situation would think that we are okay. But on a deeper and eternal level, we are indeed okay. There is an inner anchor. There is a solid rock. There is an eternal hope. There is a spiritual side to life that is far more important than the external and physical factors. Because of that, in the midst of times when life is not okay, we truly can be okay, and this knowledge can bring calmness, quietness, peace, and comfort in the midst of any disaster.

If your current troubles are small and few, praise God! If you happen to be in a time when the troubles and large and plenteous, believe God. May His dependable truth give you all the help and comfort you need for today and for this week. You really are okay!

Love in Christ,
Peggy Holt
member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA
www.pressingontohigherground.blogspot.com