How to Manage Your Life in the Middle of World Chaos
Wondering how to manage everyday life when it seems like the world’s in the middle of chaos? Here are several practical tips to adopt today.
For the past few years, pretty much NOTHING has seemed normal about life in this world. Just when one massive crisis simmers down, another takes its place. And while humans are resilient, there comes a time when it seems too much is too much.
Continually living with too much stress is too much. At some point, if absolutely everything seems like it should be of utmost importance and concern, it means something else isn’t.
It’s a little bit like using too many exclamation points! If you keep using them, they won’t stand out!! Everything will seem like it should be urgent!!! But too much is too much!!!! Not everything can be urgent!!!!!
As chaos continues to build around the world and urgency shifts from a pandemic to lockdowns to vaccines to wars, it can be tempting to buy into the fear porn so readily promoted by media. But does this help at all? Unless you’re a world leader charged with the responsibility of navigating your nation out of chaos, what’s a normal person supposed to do?
Managing Life in the Middle of World Chaos
When you find yourself in the middle of world chaos, there’s a definite approach to the way you manage your life. Here are a few practical things to do:
Pray.
Bring everything to the Lord in prayer. Praise Him for His sovereignty. Praise Him that He is all-knowing and all-powerful. Share every thing that’s stressing you out and filling you with fear or sorrow or concern. Humbly ask for His strength and His peace to fill you. Ask Him for direction.
And thank Him for the undeserved mercy He’s offered the world through Jesus. (Are you experiencing the peace that comes through His mercy and grace? Thank Him! Are you not? Ask Him to help you understand what Jesus offers. Ask for His forgiveness and undeserved favor in your life.)
Discern how you’re affected.
Does the current crisis directly affect your life? If it does, you have a very different response than if it doesn’t.
If you’re facing troubles …
If you’re directly affected by an extraordinary situation or disaster, tend to that. Deal with your current life circumstance.
While it’s never enjoyable to watch your life turn upside down as you face difficulties, you can rest in the truth found in Romans 5:1-5:
If you’re NOT facing troubles …
If you haven’t been directly affected by world events or you’re not currently facing hardship, it might feel pretty strange to go about your everyday life when you know others are suffering.
It doesn’t seem quite right to drop your kids off to practice while parents halfway across the world are kissing their children goodbye forever. It feels a little strange to switch your laundry from the washer to the dryer when families’ homes are getting destroyed by bombs.
Just because you’re not affected by tragedy right now, it doesn’t mean you’ll always live a problem-free life. Your moment of trials and suffering may be much closer than you realize. Or, maybe you’ll seem fairly unscathed by tragedies.
Even if you’re not directly affected, you don’t have to pretend like everything is fine everywhere. Instead, here are a few ways you can help people who are suffering:
Give
Depending on the crises you know about, you can give in different ways. Concerned about refugees somewhere else in the world? Maybe you can give financially to help relief efforts.
But if you found out your neighbor’s spouse just passed away or one of your dear friends is sick, it’s time to give in a different way. Take a meal to show your care and concern. Offer to do some practical work that needs to be done (and follow through on your offer.)
If you know a family that’s experiencing job loss or financial troubles, it might be a perfect opportunity to give gift cards to help with basic shopping necessities.
God’s blessed humans with thoughtfulness and creativity … it’s time to get creative with ways you can bless others who need help but won’t always ask. Once you feel led to respond in a certain way, follow through! All of your good intentions won’t make a difference.
Keep on keeping on
Even if it seems strange to go about your regular life, keep moving forward with your everyday commitments. If you feel consumed by global concerns while you’re cleaning toilets or cooking supper, make sure to pray! But resist the temptation to binge on never-ending news feeds.
As the British government encouraged during the turmoil of World War II, “Keep Calm and Carry On.” Faithfully do the work the Lord has called you to, so that whatever you do, you’re working and serving with your whole heart, so that you’re working for the Lord.
Invest in relationships
When it seems like the world is filled with chaos, keep investing in specific relationships. Don’t grow weary of doing good, and don’t shut yourself away from the rest of the world like a frightened hermit.
Decide who needs you most and pour yourself into those relationships:
- If you’re married, your spouse needs you.
- If you’re a parent, your children need you. Especially if they’re young!
- If you’re a grandparent, your grandchildren need you.
- And if you’re a single, look to the people in your life who need your influence, whether it’s friends or neighbors or coworkers or people at your church.
Resist the temptation to withdraw from others when life becomes hard. If and when it feels like everyone in the world is at odds with each other, it’s time for you to step forward and love courageously with the love of Christ.
As problems and stresses multiply in the world around us, it’s important for you to stay grounded in the truth of God’s Word and then go out and be the hands and feet of Christ. He is the hope we all need!
He is the only way to experience peace while the rest of life seems consumed by chaos.
How are you currently affected by the chaos in the world? How are you dealing with it?
All images courtesy of Unsplash.
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So wonderfully said. Thank you for sharing what God lays on your heart. ❣️