THE WORLD FEELS CRAZY — BUT IT ALWAYS HAS BEEN
People keep saying the world has lost its mind. Every day brings another story that makes us shake our heads, another argument that feels sharper than the last, another reminder that things are not as stable as we once assumed. It feels overwhelming, unfamiliar, and exhausting. Yet the truth is simpler than our fears allow. The world did not suddenly become broken. It has always been this way.
What has changed is not the presence of chaos, but our awareness of it. We see more, hear more, and carry more of it with us. But when we step back, history tells a steady story. Jesus and the apostles lived in a far more volatile time than ours. Rome ruled by fear and force. Injustice was common. Disease spread without warning. Public executions were meant to intimidate. To follow Christ was not socially inconvenient; it was dangerous.
And yet, into that kind of world, Jesus spoke calmly. He told His followers, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your heart be troubled, and do not let it be afraid” (John 14:27). He did not deny the trouble; He addressed the heart that would face it. His peace was never dependent on conditions improving.
Chaos has a way of reminding us what this life is really about. When systems shake and certainties fail, we are forced to ask what we have been leaning on. The Bible says plainly, “Here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one that is coming” (Hebrews 13:14). This world was never meant to carry the weight of our hope. It was never meant to be permanent, predictable, or finally satisfying.
For Christians, the calling in unstable times is not panic, outrage, or retreat. It is balance. It is clear sight. It is a settled heart. The Apostle Paul wrote to believers surrounded by pressure and uncertainty, “Do not be anxious about anything; instead, in every situation, by prayer and humble request, with thanksgiving, bring your needs to God. And the peace of God, which is greater than human understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6–7). That peace does not remove us from the storm; it keeps us from being ruled by it.
Jesus was honest with His disciples about the world they would face. “In the world you will have trouble,” He said, but He did not stop there. “Take courage; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). The trouble is real, but it is not ultimate. History is not spiraling out of God’s control; it is moving, sometimes painfully, toward His purposes.
So breathe. Slow your steps. Live faithfully where you are. Love people well. Speak truth without heat. Pray more than you post. Be a calm presence in a loud and anxious age. When the world feels unhinged, remember this: God is not nervous, heaven is not shaken, and Christ remains Lord.
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Lord Jesus, steady my heart in unsteady times. Teach me to live with trust, patience, and quiet faith. Help me to remember what truly matters and to rest in Your peace. Amen.
BDD
