Before I stopped living the life of Jonah and answered God’s call on my life, I had a predictably failed career in the film and theater industries. It was predictable because I was willfully running from God and you can only run so long. My first paid roles as an actor came sooner than expected, the summer before college, when a professional summer stock theater hired me for several bit parts throughout the season. The theater itself was in a converted barn that kept its rustic appeal.
One role had me repeatedly bested by the three musketeers in multiple encounters of the blade. In one scene, a musketeer forced me to retreat up a steep set of stairs toward the old hay loft as we swash-buckled away.
I thought this made me exceptionally cool, but during one performance I slipped on the steps. Not wanting to fall, I grabbed one of the rough wooden rafters above me. Though this prevented me from plummeting to the stage below, it resulted in over a dozen splinters lodging themselves under my fingernails. I completed the scene, but the stage manager had to pull the splitters out with a pair of tweezers between the rest of my entrances and exits. It was awful.
When times of crisis come, we have a tendency to grab what’s right in front of us. For some, they turn to sex or alcohol. For others, it’s codependency or anger. But there are consequences for grabbing something that’s unhealthy or untested. It may feel like it’s preventing your fall at the moment, but pulling out the splinters it digs under the fingernails of your life will be painful and lengthy.
It’s much better to grab hold of God when the crisis comes, but that requires us to pursue a relationship with Him before the crisis occurs. That’s not to say we can’t turn to Him for the first time amid a difficult season, many people do, but it’s often after they’ve received the painful consequences of the thing they first reached out for as they tried to steady themselves. Then we not only have to deal with the crisis itself but our bad choices in the crisis. Building an ongoing relationship with God now will make Him the first thing we grab when the crisis comes.
The problem I had is that I firmly placed my ambition in front of me before God.
Consider what the psalmist wrote:
I lie awake thinking of you,
meditating on you through the night.
Because you are my helper,
I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings.
I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely.
(Psalm 63-6-8 NLT, emphasis added)
What are some steps you can take to make God the first thing you grab hold of in times of crisis? What has been your experience in the past? Share your comments below.
Like your image of the splinters, sometimes the things we grab on to leave lasting scars. Excellent reminder of the need to keep God right in front of us as we sojourn here. Thanks!
Thank you, Ben. I appreciate your kind words. Yes, the world leaves scars but thankfully, we are healed by Christ’s wounds. Our life-splinters are never beyond hope.
Loved your word picture that painted such a great image in my head! No, I’d prefer not to grab onto something that causes painful splinters! Thanks for the reminder to be so in tune with God that He is the one I grab onto in a crisis!
That’s beautifully said, Julie. Thank you.
I pray I will reach for Him first. I admit there are times when I forget to go to Him first. When trouble comes and I reach for Him, there is a comfort only He can provide.
Amen, Melissa. We reach out to so many things for comfort but none of them offer the peace that comes from Christ.
We are constantly searching for the next quick fix. Finding God was the only lasting anchor I’ve ever been able to find.
That is so true! We live in a quick fix culture, but God wants a lasting investment in our relationship with Him.
This is a really great question. This is actually one I have wrestled with for a bit, as I am aware of my mind and body enough to understand how predisposed I am to addictive tendencies. For me, it is a daily challenge to make sure I am rooted in God instead of rooted in things that could easily become addictions. I have to make sure I am in the Word daily so when the hard times come I can cling to what is already rooted in my life!
Thank you for such an honest answer, Jessie. I love that you used the word rooted. It’s such a powerful visual to imagine our roots growing down into the strength of Christ. Spending time in the Word and listening for His direction are key.
An excellent thought provoking post, Joshua. The illustration will stay with me as we get splinters of many types. What step will I take? I am trying not to step but to stop to pause and listen to Him. Thanks for the challenge and encouragement.
You’re welcome, Marilyn. That’s a wonderful idea. I wonder how much closer we’d be to God is we all simply spent more time pausing and listening.
Great question Pastor Joshua. “What steps can I take?” This may sound silly. but my immediate response to your question is “Practice!” I’m very much a person of habit; just ask my wife Diane. Not one to embrace change easily, and someone who abhors surprises; I prefer my life to be predictable, steady, expected. What, I believe, has taught me to move quickly reach out to God in times of need is repeatability. The more times I practice this act of faith; the more often I do it, the easier it becomes to do the next time. With lots of practice, reaching out to God to steady my life has become a default action more than a reaction to circumstances. Great post sir. Thank you!
I don’t think that sounds silly at all, J.D. I think it’s very insightful. Our tendency in the flesh is to move away from God and grab hold of something else. Being intentional in practicing our ability to reach out to Him first is exactly what the spiritual disciplines are all about.
A very important question to ask!
A good question to ask God about, even if we think we have the answer, and it seems obvious.
Lord, what do You want me to know about this?
Excellent point, Dawn. Sometimes we think we know the answer and we have no idea what we’re truly grabbing hold of. In Celebrate Recovery, that’s called denial and we need God (sometimes through brothers and sisters in Christ) to reveal it to us. Thanks so much.
For a time, I needed alcohol to relax. Four or five nights a week, I was consuming two or three beverages. I quit completely, almost one year ago, and my relationship with God has strengthened. In addition to relying on Him, I appreciate other ways that I can relax. It’s not necessary for everyone to quit completely, but my choice works for me!
Thank you for your honest response, Robin. God draws us closer to Him by removing the things we choose over Him. It doesn’t look the same for everyone, but He wants us to lean on Him completely.
You are a man of many talents, Joshua. I bet God has already used your acting ability and experience to serve Him. Your example painted a painful word picture and got the message across. When we grab the wrong thing, it hurts! I have many times grabbed things other than God and the consequences were not good. Thanks for this revealing post.
Thank you, Barbara. God always redeems our past when we’re willing to let Him transform our perspective. I have been hurt by grabbing the wrong things many times, but He will use those mistakes to further His kingdom.