How to Manage Your Life When the World’s a Wreck
Upset by current events? Here’s a tried and true way to manage your life when it feels like the world is a hot mess.
Just when it seems like the world can’t get more chaotic or that certainly all of the unthinkable will start to settle down, more uncertainty bubbles until it explodes.
This feeling of global overwhelm, where current events threaten to zap your peace of mind, only seems to be growing more intense. Paying attention to even just a little bit of the news can leave you reeling.
Aside from hiding away all by your lonesome self, it’s impossible to avoid conflict. It’s impossible to get away from catastrophe.
So what can you do?
How Can You Cope?
Because a life of conflict is nothing new, it’s wise to see what’s worked well in the past.
One amazing collection of responses to calamity and calm, disaster and desire, is found in the Psalms.
Written by a variety of psalmists, the Psalms honestly and vividly describe all the emotions you and I experience today. Psalm after Psalm accurately describe the emotional roller coasters of life. David writes in Psalm 3:7:
“Arise, Lord!
Deliver me, my God!
Strike all my enemies on the jaw;
break the teeth of the wicked.”
And in Psalm 6:3,6-7, David describes,
“My soul is in deep anguish.
How long, Lord, how long? …
I am worn out from my groaning.
All night long I flood my bed with weeping
and drench my couch with tears.
My eyes grow weak with sorrow;
they fail because of all my foes.”
Over and over again, you get glimpses into real feelings, real emotions, and real responses from people who face the uncertainties of real life.
So what?
Reading about someone else’s trials can be comforting. Misery loves company, right? But do the Psalms help in any other way?
One fantastic aspect of the Psalms is that they can be used as examples of how you can be honest with the Lord:
- When you’re happy and you know it, let your prayers be filled with praise.
- When you’re feeling like they bottom of life has dropped out and you’re at a loss for hope, tell the Lord.
- Tell Him when other people make you angry.
- Confess when you’re scared and ask Him for help.
- Share with Him every concern you’re facing, whether they’re small or big.
Share the details of your life with your Heavenly Father in prayer, then prepare yourself for His peace.
Just as He listens to every word, He’s also at work answering your prayers. The answers may not be anything like you ever imagined or hoped, but He’s in the middle of working out His perfect plan.
Keep honestly sharing your thoughts and feelings with Him through your prayers. When you’re scared by what’s happening in the world, tell Him. Ask Him for His strength, peace, and comfort.
And when you find yourself wrestling with the same cares over and over again, keep coming back to Him in prayer over and over again. You’ll begin to notice a difference.
The world may continue to seem like it’s spinning out of control, but the difference will come through the Lord’s peace. He’ll help you manage your life even in the middle of chaos.
What are some of your favorite Psalms that have helped you manage your life when times are difficult?
Images courtesy of Unsplash.
Disclosure: This post originally was published on October 13, 2023. All images courtesy of Unsplash.
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We are all in pain or struggling. I love that you are actively sharing messages of hope and how to stay connected. We need more of this.