I generally like to listen to talk radio or peruse news articles online before work while I eat my breakfast. It’s a routine I have become familiar with. I like to be “in the know” on current events around the world. But I have taken a break from the news for now. I can’t take it anymore. And I think you may want to consider doing the same for a while as well for a perspective reset.
Here’s why:
The “news” is a breeding ground for fear, worry and anger.
Terrorist attacks; environmental Armageddon, political infighting, economic meltdown and violent weather warriors such as tsunamis and earthquakes are just a smattering of the headlines in the first few pages of the average newspaper or online source.
Is it any wonder that people are experiencing fear, anxiety and worry to such chronic degrees?
In Alberta, my home province, we have experienced a monumental shift in the energy sector in the last several months. This area has been the driving force of our economy and has guaranteed well paying jobs for thousands of people in years past. Only a year ago a barrel of oil traded at $100. Now it’s around $30. That is a significant drop.
And as a result people are losing their jobs.
And their houses.
And their toys.
Most of all they are losing their hope and courage.
There is a lot of doom and gloom. And many Christians I know have started to allow the media outlets to influence the way they think and feel on a daily basis.
There is certainly more fear, and much less faith.
Has this economic turn taken God by surprise? Did this meltdown catch him off guard? Absolutely not. He saw it all coming. And the same God we trusted in the good times is the same God who will guide us through the difficult times. His power and reach are not limited by the policies of a certain political party or unseen economic forces. History shows that quite clearly.
In the book of Revelation the Apostle John is exiled on the Isle of Patmos, an old man left to rot and die. The Roman Empire was strong and opposition to the Christian church was beginning to heat up. John must have wondered, “Where are you in all of this God? Have you left the building?” He gets his answer in a vision recorded in Revelation 4:2 where he sees into the realities of heaven and comes away with a sharpened view of what is happening on earth. New Testament scholar Darrell Johnson explains that the throne was representative of the control center of the universe, a seat of power and authority. John may have wondered if this throne was occupied or if maybe the Roman Emperor was seated there. Instead, he sees clearly that it is the Lord God Almighty on the throne. He is in control of the whole universe.
Since that time nations have risen and fallen, economies have grown and dwindled, and politicians have come and gone.
But God is still on the throne.
And He will get you through whatever you are facing today.
So maybe take a break from the news and see things as they really are. It’s a surefire way to replace your fear with faith.