A few days ago Russia invaded Ukraine. Although some commentators portray Russia as an evil aggressor and Ukraine as an innocent victim, that depiction is too simplistic. In situations like this, it is worth researching a variety of sources besides mainstream media to get a proper perspective. Seek to answer questions like, historically what led to this course of action? Who is benefiting and who is suffering? What are the potential short-term and long-term ramifications especially regarding the welfare of people physically, emotionally, socially, and spiritually? How does this hinder or promote a globalist agenda of centralized power and control? How does this impact me and those around me? What can I do to help? Ask God for discernment of the truth and wisdom for how to respond.
Whether across the world, in your country, or in your community you are probably facing difficult situations on an increasing basis. Without people turning their hearts toward God, I don’t see this trend changing. Soft totalitarianism is gaining momentum. In the United States, the covert replacement of democracy with socialism, the fraud in elections, the permissiveness of illegal immigration, the failure of executive, legislative, and judicial leaders to follow and uphold fundamental laws, the use of media and technology to suppress facts, to censor dissent, and to punish truth givers, and the push toward digital identification and a social credit system indicate radical change. They point to an organized, strategic, elitist movement to cause or capitalize on calamities, chaos, and crises in order to restrict human rights and freedoms and amass wealth, power, and control. Furthermore, the ignorance or complacency of many people plays right into the hands of globalist organizations like the World Economic Forum, the Young Global Leaders, the World Health Organization, ID 2020, the Council for Foreign Relations, the Trilateral Commission, and also the Chinese Communist Party. These organizations wield tremendous influence in governments around the world to bring about a New World Order, The Great Reset and the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Hopefully you’ve noticed these trends and are concerned. However, don’t worry or lose heart. God has a plan and he will accomplish his purposes. Furthermore, he has placed you in this world at this time to be with him, to be like him, and to do what he does. Trust and obey God and he will see you and others through. God’s grace is sufficient and his power is made perfect in your weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). He will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5; Romans 8:28-39).
Here are three encouraging ways you can not just survive difficult and uncertain times, but have an impact as you seek to love God and others not matter what happens to be going on around you.
Submit to God’s Spirit
First, realize you can’t do anything significant without abiding in Jesus through God’s Spirit, just as a branch draws everything it needs from the vine in order to bear fruit (John 15:4-8). When you come to trust Jesus as your savior, God gives you his Spirit to comfort, counsel, train, and empower you (John 14:15-27, 16:7-15). To grow in faith you must yield the desires of your body and the will of your soul to God’s Spirit now alive in you. As you do he gives you the wisdom, courage, and strength to do what’s good and right. The Spirit is even described as a sword in the armor of God–your offensive and defensive weapon in spiritual battle (Ephesians 6:10-18).
Numerous times God taught the nation of Israel their need to rely on his Spirit and not themselves. For instance, around 500 B.C. when many Jews returned from exile in Babylon they faced formidable opposition in rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem. To experience victory, first they needed to repent of sin and renew their covenant with God. When they did God told the prophet Zechariah that the people did not need to worry about completing the temple with their own strength, prowess, or resources. He said, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit” (Zechariah 4:6). God can do what seems impossible (Luke 1:37). Many times he does so by working through people who have put their faith in him above anything else. Are you facing opposition or trying to solve problems in your own strength? Surrender your way and accept God’s way by allowing his Spirit to guide and empower you.
Act on What You Have Attained
Sometimes it’s hard to know what to do in certain situations. For instance, when should you fight and when should you flee? When should you stand and when should you surrender? When should you administer justice and when should you extend mercy? Fortunately, God knows the best approach. Ask him, study his word, the Bible, and he will show you (Luke 11:5-13; James 1:5). The Bible is the fundamental way God shares his will and his way with you. Studying it is vital. Follow the advice God gave Joshua when he faced the overwhelming task of leading the nation of Israel into the Promised Land occupied by enemies. “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:7-9). As you evaluate a particular situation or struggle in light of your study, you may still have questions. That’s okay. We can’t understand everything all at once. So don’t let what you don’t know yet, keep you from doing what you do know now. Usually God gives you one step of faith to take at a time. Do that one thing which he has made clear. Then as you continue to give up the ways of this world, and spend time seeking his will, he reveals the next step through prayer and your study of his word.
Work with Other Believers
As you carry out God’s mission of saving people unite with other believers. Serve, edify, and equip each other as fellow ministers of God’s reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:14-21). Faithfully, in love, use the gifts, experiences, and resources God has blessed you with to complement the efforts of other believers. Follow the apostle Paul’s advice, “I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4:1-6).
As you courageously represent God in this world, seek to influence people spiritually more than politically (Matthew 28:18-20). That’s the approach Jesus took and he had the greatest impact of anyone in the entire history of the world. When he first came to earth he chose not to overthrow the ruling political government. Instead he wisely addressed the root of humankind’s problem which was their desire to serve themselves above serving God. Jesus, God the Son, became a man and paid for every person’s wrongdoing with his innocent life and provided victory over sin and Satan through his resurrection from the dead (Colossians 1:13-23). He brought spiritual change by saving people from their sin. His mission even now is to heal broken individuals, bring them into his family, and work with them and through them to transform families, communities, and societies. So point people to Jesus. That’s who everyone needs. Only through him can we become truly better people, better communities, and a better world. Soon Jesus will return as he promised. Then he will reward believers, judge unbelievers, overthrow wicked authorities, and establish his righteous rule on earth as it is in heaven (John 14:1-3; Acts 1:6-11; Revelation 19:11-21:4).
If you want to follow Jesus you will face difficulty because our humanistic world system opposes God. Jesus taught his disciples, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me” (John 15:18-21). Although this sounds discouraging, Jesus also exhorted his disciples, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33). Boldly follow Jesus’ lead through the power of his Spirit and he’ll show you and enable you to handle the challenges you face. Act on what he tells you and reveals to you in the Bible. Although it is much easier said than done, don’t worry about the potential loss of freedoms, status, wealth, comfort, or security. Just do what God tells you and leave the results to him. He loves you and promises to take care of you (Psalm 23, 34:17-18; 1 Peter 5:6-7). Finally unite with other believers to love and serve people in need and teach them who God is and how to know him, love him, and obey him.
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